Albus Potter and the Sword of Godric Gryffindor
by HPfanGleekForLife
Summary: Al, Rose, Scorpius and Molly are heading back for their second year at Hogwarts, but more than a few surprises await them. When a familar face causes a startling reaction amongst the staff, things go awry, and Al can only predict trouble ahead...R & R !
1. The Presence of Padfoot

**_A/N: Well, I'm back! I thought it would take a lot more time than this, but here - especially for you, my devoted readers - is chapter one of _Albus Potter and the Sword of Godric Gryffindor_. Its a bit overflowing with familial fluff, as you will see, but I really wanted to show a bit of Al's home life during the summer before he heads off back to Hogwarts. Now, this book will concentrate on the differences between Harry and Al and Draco and Scorpius - when the first book concentrated on the similarities. If you want some more clues about the plot, have a look at the Author's Note at the end of book one, 'cause I'm not saying no more here! _**

**_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this brand new first chappie - its fluffy, but I hope its fun too. Enjoy! xx_**

_CHAPTER ONE_

_The Presence of Padfoot_

It was the second week of the holidays, and for once, all three Potter children agreed on something. It was that time of year again when Albus, James, Lily and their parents would stay at Grimmauld Place for a week. They wouldn't have minded so much if staying at Grimmauld Place meant that the house needed another bout of intense spring (summer) cleaning. Harry still rented out the dilapidated building as Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, even though no one had lived in it for over twenty years.

Albus hated going there. He hated the stench of dust and rotting wood and old upholstery, the dark, narrow halls and the dark, wide rooms, the serpent-shaped chandeliers and candlesticks, the squeaky doorknobs and creaking hinges on the windows and doors. Most of all, he hated not knowing what ghastly magical creature may have made itself at home there. When he was younger, James would tell him elaborate tales of many a monstrous creature; giant spiders with a hundred legs and seven rows of pointy teeth; tiny little bugs that nestled in curtains and cushions and bed covers that would come out and bite you on the nose; and great whining ghouls which hid in the plumbing and played havoc with the sewage systems. Needless to say, Albus did not enjoy going to Grimmauld Place. And now the time had come to go back there again.

***

"Why do we have to go, anyway?" James moaned for the hundredth time on Tuesday morning, over the noise of the vacuum cleaner their Mum was hovering the living room with. "It's boring. All we do is clean. Can't we stay at grandma's? _Mum_?"

Ginny cut off the vacuum cleaner and frowned at her eldest child. Then her expression softened.

"I know it's boring, but Grimmauld Place...it means a lot to your father, okay?"

"But _why_? It's full of old stuff and rubbish no one is ever going to use" James complained.

"Look, your dad wants us to go there, so we're going there. We need to keep it clean, James, or it'll just fall apart."

Albus was too busy reading _Quidditch Through the Ages_ to really concentrate on the conversation. He would be off to the Quidditch World Cup semi-finals in little over a week, and he couldn't contain his excitement. He was now spending the majority of his time reading every bit of information about everything to do with Quidditch that existed. He was all too used to James complaining about things to really care whether his brother won his arguments or not.

There was a sound of a car in the drive and then the clatter of the letterbox and the flop of letters onto the doormat.

"I'll get it!" came Lily's voice from out in the hallway and seconds later she skidded into the room, holding aloft two pieces of mail.

"Postcards" she said. "For you" And she threw them at Albus so fast that he almost fell off the armchair trying to catch them. He turned each one over in his hand and grinned. One was from Molly, who was on holiday in Greece with her stepfamily; the other was from Scorpius, who had gone to the Lake District to visit his grandparents. Both were Albus' best friends at Hogwarts, apart from Rose, of course, but she didn't really count because she was his cousin.

He was just about to read what they said when the doorbell rang, and his mother went to answer it. From the voices out in the hall, it sounded like Aunt Fleur, Victoire and Teddy. Didn't a day go by without _any_ of the Weasley relatives coming to visit?

***

It was time to go to Grimmauld Place. They would be staying there for a week whilst the parents gave the house a deep clean and Albus, James and Lily were forced to help with whatever came up. Albus had just finished stuffing the last of his clothes into an old suitcase which he had found, miraculously, under his bed and spared him from sharing a case with James. He zipped the case shut and heaved it out of his bedroom door and onto the landing. He peered over the edge of the banisters. James and Lily were there already with their suitcases, both wearing their dislike of Grimmauld Place plainly on their faces.

He got his suitcase downstairs and jumped out of the way just in time to avoid James' case, which he had swung at his brother's feet in an attempt to pass the time. Their parents were still in the kitchen, making last-minute preparations with his mother checking, double-checking and triple-checking that they had everything they needed. Every year, one of them forgot at least one thing.

There was a pause in their voices, and then his mother threw an enormous blue bag out into the hall. This was the bag that held the cleaning supplies, Doxycide and Mrs. Skower's All Purpose Magical Mess Remover included amongst other things.

Ten minutes later, the five-strong family had managed to get themselves into the car without any problems, which was a first; Albus had put Jemima's cage in between his knees so that she wouldn't have to bounce around on the shelf in the boot and James was too busy checking his list of things he needed to buy from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to notice much else. It wasn't that far to Grimmauld Place from the Potter's house, around forty-five minutes really, but when you had a very talkative sister, a brother who couldn't sit still for more than five seconds without causing trouble and an owl who hated travelling, the journey became a lot longer.

But Albus didn't really mind. He simply let his thoughts wander far and wide to the Quidditch World Cup semi-final he was going to in a couple of weeks time. England were playing Russia, and there was a lot of fuss about it because this was the first time England had qualified for the semi-finals in a very long time. Whoever won the game would go on to play reigning champions Finland in the finals in a few months' time. The Finnish were difficult to beat; they'd won the World Cup four times in a row and any other team who played them were flattened. _Wonder what it would be like, playing Quidditch as a job_ Albus thought. _I'd have to ask mum, she said it was brilliant_. Being an International Quidditch Player was high up on Albus' list of Dream Jobs. Also on the list were being an Auror and the manager of a huge chocolate-making company, a fantasy that had rooted in his brain after watching _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_ when he was seven years old.

Albus watched the busy streets of London pass by as they drove further away from their small part of the city. People were on the way to work, doing a days' shopping, meeting up with friends and family. Watching them made him think of Diagon Alley, and how he would soon be going back there to buy his things for his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He missed the castle very much; he missed getting to sleep in a four-poster bed, having snowball fights at Christmas with his many cousins in the castle grounds, the lessons, and the mouth-watering feasts in the Great Hall that the house-elves of Hogwarts prepared for them. He couldn't wait to go back.

He must have dozed off for a little while, because the next time Albus opened his eyes they were pulling onto the street at Grimmauld Place. It was a square block of houses that consisted of four streets, one on each side, and each house looked as dilapidated as the next. People still lived there, of course, but the street on which they had just parked was different. Number eleven sat directly beside number thirteen, with no number twelve to be seen anywhere. The occupants of the houses on the street simply took it to be a simple mistake. But Albus knew that number twelve _was_ there; it was just hidden, out of view from passing commuters.

They got out of the car and left standing on the side of the pavement whilst Harry and Ginny went to unpack the boot. Albus turned to look carefully at the join between the houses of number eleven and number thirteen. He knew what he had to do; his father had taught him years ago, when they first started coming here. _The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London_.

No sooner had he reached 'Number twelve, Grimmauld Place' than the houses each side started to move; and a third appeared between them. It only took a matter of seconds for two grimy windows, a peeling door and lopsided chimney to materialise in front of the three Potter children. Meanwhile, their parents had finished getting the bags out of the car and Ginny was now making for the front door. The front door, with its peeling black paint and silver serpent-headed knocker, was stiff and it took a few pushes to get it open. When it did, Albus was greeted by the smell of dust, musty fabric, and mothballs. It wasn't a pleasant smell.

As usual, the hallway was dark, with no lights on or candles burning in any of the candelabras or the great chandelier suspended from the ceiling, both shaped like serpents. Creepy looking tapestries hung on the walls to hide the cracks in the walls and the peeling wallpaper. When their father came in behind them and shut the door, it was pitch black inside. Anyone who liked living in a place like this must have been crazy.

"We'd better have some light, Harry, or the kids will break their necks" came their mother's voice from somewhere up ahead. Seconds later, the whole hallway was filled with yellow light which no doubt came from Harry's wand. Now that they could see, it was clear to anyone that Grimmauld Place had not changed at all since their last visit, the Easter before Albus started Hogwarts. The only difference, perhaps, was that there was a thickening coat of dust over everything.

"It's not very nice, this house" James said, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "Why would anyone want to live here?"

"Good question" answered their father. "Mind you, it looked a lot worse than this when I first came here". He paused for effect. "There were dead elf heads on the walls". Lily's mouth dropped open. James looked positively disgusted. "It was an old tradition in the family who owned the house. When an elf got too old, they'd cut its head off and stick it on the wall. Thank God I managed to convince Kreacher to take them down years ago."

None of them really knew what to say to that. The idea that someone would stick the heads of dead elves on the walls of their house was...well, a little strange.

***

Over the next few days, Albus, James and Lily were roped into helping with everything from changing the bedsheets in all the bedrooms to dusting and polishing the furniture, doorknobs and ornaments and scrubbing the grime off walls and doorframes. These were not pleasant tasks, and Albus longed to be at home, watching television or playing on the computer.

On the fourth day, Albus had agreed – reluctantly – to help his father clear out and dust the two main bedrooms in the house. These were the biggest and grandest rooms, and unfortunately, the ones that needed the most cleaning. He had only agreed to help so that he could get away from James and Lily, who were beginning to get on his nerves; Lily kept asking him questions about everything under the sun and James entertained himself by trying to squirt Albus with Doxycide. He was also glad to have some time alone with his dad.

The first room was slightly larger than the second, which was much more noticeable as the room had been stripped bare of everything except the bed, the furniture and the peeling grey wallpaper. Cobwebs hung in the corners of the ceiling, the carpet was thick with dust, and the headboard on the bed needed replacing. The window frames were soft with rot and the curtains were old and moth-eaten. Albus couldn't imagine anyone sleeping in here.

"Who did this room belong to?" he asked his father. He didn't answer at first.

"My godfather's brother" he said finally. "This was their parents' house." It was quiet for a moment. Albus rubbed at a stain on the window, sensing his father's discomfort.

"Do you still miss him?" Albus blurted out in the silence. He eyed his father carefully. His deceased friends weren't Harry Potter's favourite subject of conversation. For a while, Albus thought his dad wasn't going to answer. But then, he said –

"Yes. Yes, I do. It's probably why I still keep this house as Headquarters. I don't think I would be able to sell it."

"I don't think mum would _let_ you sell it" Albus said. He remembered what his mother had said just a few days ago. _Grimmauld Place means a lot to your father_.

"I don't think anyone would let me sell it, even if I wanted to. They know me too well by now to understand I could never get rid of this place" his father laughed. Albus followed his gaze around the bare, dusty, empty room. "It might not be a holiday villa in Italy, Al" he said. "But it's all I've got left of Sirius".

Suddenly, Albus saw a whole new reason why his father insisted they visit Grimmauld Place very few months. It was his only connection to his late godfather.

**_A/N: I told you it would be fluffy, didn't I? Was it too much? Did you hate the chapter altogether? Did you love it? Whatever your thoughts, you know the drill = just review it so I can see where I'm going wrong (or right!). Muchos gracias,_**

**_HPfangirl4life xx_**

**_PS. Plot background infor for you which will be important in the coming books - Harry is now the Head of the Order of the Phoenix. Just something you'll want to keep in mind later on. _**


	2. Quidditch and Queries

**_A/N: I know, I know - its' been such a long time since I last updated and I am so very sorry to all my devout fans who've been wanting the next installment. So, you will be pleased to announce that you won't be waiting much longer, because here it is! Its taken a long time because I've been working on NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in between revising for my mock exams and doing coursework, but I will try and update often from now on. In fact, you can expect chapter three in around two weeks time! Enjoy!_**

_CHAPTER TWO_

_Quidditch and Queries_

Try as he might, Albus couldn't sleep. He had been awake for hours, listening to the quiet hum of traffic outside, his eyes straying to where his rucksack lay packed on his bedroom floor. In it was everything he would need for the next two days. Every time he saw it, a thrill of excitement would shoot up his spine. In a few hours, he would be travelling to the Semi-Finals of the Quidditch World Cup with his dad. _The Quidditch World Cup_! He laughed quietly to himself as he remembered the sick look on James' face when he'd heard where his little brother was going. That had been a good moment for Albus. He was tired of being the third wheel, the gooseberry.

He yawned, stretched, and turned on his side to face the bedside table. It was no use trying to go to sleep, because he was just too excited. The Quidditch World Cup! It had been his dream to go to one of those matches since the first time he rode a broomstick. Albus' eyes came to rest on the two photographs which stood on the bedside table. Even though it was too dark to make out anything but the faint shapes of the frames, Albus knew the photographs well. The first one, the biggest, was of him, his parents, Lily and James on holiday last summer in Ireland. It had been taken in front of the Giant's Causeway. He remembered that holiday well, because he had returned from it to find a letter from Hogwarts waiting for him. The second photograph showed four children, fresh from their first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the middle was Albus, messy-haired and taller than the other three; on his right stood Rose, his cousin and best friend, clutching _Hogwarts: A History_ to her chest; and on his left, Scorpius and Molly, his two new friends. Rose was, as of yesterday, on holiday in France with Hugo and Albus' Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron and, as far as Albus knew, probably going to start ferreting around for any information that would help them with the summer homework they had been set as soon as possible.

Albus turned over again so that he was lying on his back, looking up at the ceiling. He watched the patterns the light made as it peeked from the gaps in the curtains, willing himself to get some sleep before he left. If he was too tired, he wouldn't enjoy himself. It was going to take them five hours in the car to get to the Quidditch Ground itself, and then another three quarters of an hour drive back to the campsite. Because the Quidditch World Cup was such a big event, the wizards at the Department of Magical Games and Sports had to expand the site as much as possible to fit everyone in. This meant that most of the campsites were a couple of hours' drive away from the actual match site. Albus didn't mind this; it was just an occupational hazard with this kind of thing. He yawned again, and closed his eyes.

***

Some hours later, he was being shaken away by his mother. He didn't remember falling asleep, but he must have done because he was rubbing the sleep from his eyes as his mother dragged the duvet back from his bed.

"Come on, Al, it's time to go soon!" she whispered, shaking him lightly again. That made him sit bolt upright. The Quidditch World Cup! Of course!

Swinging his legs out of bed, he stretched and put his slippers on, then scrambled around in the half-darkness for his clothes. The smell of frying bacon and sausages wafted up from the kitchen. Once dressed, he picked up his rucksack and ran down the stairs, almost knocking over the hall table which held a vase of purple orchids. Replacing the precariously wobbling vase back into its proper place, he rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times. He was no longer tired; excitement ran through him like adrenaline.

Albus followed his nose to the kitchen, where his mother was cooking an (very) early breakfast. His father was already there, looking rather tired – but his own excitement showed in the green eyes that were identical to Albus'. He could never resist anything to do with Quidditch; apart from being an Auror and catching Dark Wizards, it was his first and biggest passion. But he didn't own a broom anymore, and Albus wasn't stupid so as not to notice the longing in his father's face every time they passed Quality Quidditch Supplies.

Albus sat down opposite his father at the small kitchen table and put his bag on the floor at his feet. When his mother put a plate of bacon and sausages in front of him, he had the plate cleared in no time; he hadn't realised he was so hungry. And his mother's food was the best – she had learnt that from their grandmother Molly. That was a good thing, because Harry wasn't as domesticated as his wife; he had never learnt how to do household charms properly, and even though he had done more than his fair share of housework when he'd lived with the Dursleys, he'd rather be faced with a Dark Wizard than a dustpan and brush.

"Hungry, are you?" his father commented jokily, shaking his head.

"I blame Ron. It looks like Al and James got his huge appetite" Ginny said from the stove, which she was now poking with her wand to get the flames to go out.

"No" his father disagreed. "I blame your good cooking".

"You'll have to do better than that, Mr. Potter. Flattery doesn't work on me" Albus' mother interjected, flicking the tea towel at his father.

"Who says that was flattery?" his father laughed. Albus rolled his eyes, but couldn't keep from smiling.

Ten minutes later, Albus and Harry were in the hallway, the latter trying to reassure Ginny for the hundredth time that they would be okay.

"I've driven in a car a hundred times before, Gin. I know the way" he said, and then added – seeing Ginny's unconvinced expression, "We won't get lost, honestly. I'll let you know if something happens, which it _won't_, so don't worry, alright?"

However, Albus' mother remained uneasy, and told Albus especially to watch out for himself – she wanted him back in one piece. And then they were getting in the car, and as they pulled out of the drive, Albus waved at his mother, who was standing on the front porch, until the car turned the corner at the end of the street and disappeared into the early morning.

As they drove, Albus became more and more excited and alert; he watched the scenery for a while, noticing how the sky turned from pink to orange to gold to yellow, and then by the time they had been travelling for three hours, it was a clear, even blue. The clouds hadn't come in yet, but Albus could see them in the distance. They left the city lights and towering buildings, and drove through the much wilder countryside; it reminded Albus of the train journey to Hogwarts, watching the towns and cities become rolling hills and vast fields, lakes and rivers and sheep grazing in nearby farms. It wouldn't be long now until he would be going back for his second year. He would see his friends again, and the rest of Gryffindor house. It was then that Albus had an idea.

"Dad?" he asked, just as they pulled off the motorway onto a narrower, winding road, "Can I have one of my friends over to stay when we get back?"

"Who did you want to ask?" Albus paused for a moment before answering.

"Scorpius Malfoy"

Surprise crossed Harry's face. Clearly, he hadn't been expecting Albus to say he wanted to invite Scorpius over to his house.

"He can come, can't he?" Albus asked. "It would be fun...and you promised to show me those memories" He said the last part of the sentence in a very small voice.

"I don't see why not" his father replied. His tone lightened. "Yeah, if you want. It would be interesting, to say the least" He laughed. "But you're asking him, though. If I say anything about it at work, his dad will probably laugh at me".

"Why? I thought you were friends with Scorpius' dad" Albus said, confused.

"I am. Just old habits die hard sometimes. Scorpius' dad can't resist making fun of me from time to time, but it's nothing personal" he smiled.

"Thanks, dad" Albus replied.

"No problem....oh, and Al?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell your Uncle Ron. Or any of your uncles, for that matter. They're not at forgiving as I am when it comes to Draco Malfoy and his family".

***

They reached the campsite early afternoon, and at first Albus thought that it was a bit too empty for something as big as the Quidditch World Cup. That was until they drove further in, and then Albus saw that the actual place was crammed with witches and wizards of all ages, families and couples and people who had come on their own, all wearing what they thought was 'normal' Muggle clothing. One woman was wearing a red cocktail dress under her tan coat; another wore a mismatching crocheted jumper and floral skirt. Albus had never seen so many different wizards in one place, except at Hogwarts; and there, the population was mostly students.

But they drove past them, up and away down a spindly dirt road, the car wobbling over the uneven ground. The atmosphere was catching, and Albus found himself itching to get to the campsite, eager to see if he could spot the giant golden scoring hoops of the Quidditch Stadium from where they were staying. All around them, England and Russia flags were tied to trees, swaying from poles stuck in the ground; the people that milled around them were wearing the scarves and emblems of their respective teams, and as they drove closer, the number of England flags increased by about a thousand. The red on white cross of the England Quidditch team, accompanied by two broomsticks overlapping each other, was everywhere; it was impossible to spot tents and cars under great flags the size of tablecloths. Albus rummaged around for a map of the campsite, and quickly found what he was looking for. The camp they were staying in was just five minutes away, and Albus couldn't wait to get there.

The camp itself was huge, green and full of people. Like the parking sites before them, this one was crammed with witches and wizards, tents of all colours of the rainbow – some with porches and fountains and palm trees- and so much _noise_. Even from inside the car, Albus could hear their excited murmurings, calling to one another, talking and laughing together. Harry parked the car close to a thicket of trees, where there was a free spot. He was grinning as if Christmas had come early; and Albus was the same. They hopped out of the car, and his father opened the boot with a flick of his wand; it sprang open, revealing Albus' rucksack, his father's bag and an enormous, lumpy canvas holdall which held the tent they would be sleeping in. From the moment they got out of the car, Albus could feel several dozen pairs of eyes on him, and he wasn't sure he liked it. The Quidditch World Cup was going to be one of those places that the famous Harry Potter wasn't going to be very successful at being inconspicuous. Not that he was successful much at blending in with the crowd before, but the fact remained in place.

As they grappled with the tent and Albus helped out by handing his father the tent pegs and spindly poles, he watched the assortment of witches and wizards milling about the campsite. Some were talking to groups of friends, comparing tents and broomsticks, and discussing the match itself. Others were making clothes hang themselves up on washing lines, or clean themselves in big buckets of water. Quite a few looked around carefully, checking the cost was clear, before pulling out their wands and putting up their tents by magic. These, too, were astonishing: there were small, brightly coloured ones; huge, multicoloured patchwork ones; tiny ones with weather vanes and a wind sock; and elaborate, five-roomed ones, complete with pointed roof, pillars either side of the door, a wide porch and a small goldfish pond. Their own tent seemed positively plain and boring by comparison.

"If you think these tents are showy, you should have seen what they looked like when I went to the World Cup! Seriously, Al, they spend a fortune on these tents and only ever use them once every God knows how many years" Harry explained, shaking his head. Well, there was certainly some truth in that. How many times had they used the family tent? Maybe three, four times? They only went camping when they couldn't afford to go on a proper holiday abroad. By the looks of these wizards, they spent more on their tents than they would _on_ a holiday abroad.

Albus offered to go and fetch some water for the tent, partly because he wanted to explore the campsite; and partly because he wanted to get a better look at the assortment of witches and wizards around him. So he went, with a tin bucket in his hand, and followed the route marked on the map he held in his other hand. People watched him as he passed; stared at him. Albus was within no doubt that they had recognised him, and that was why they were staring. He caught odd snatches of conversation: two older, silvery-haired wizards were discussing the wizarding economy; a group of young witches, not much older than Victoire, were sat in the mouth of a large tepee, talking about the latest issue of _Witch Weekly_; and harassed parents were scolding their small children, keeping a very close eye on them as they hovered above the dried-out grass on miniature broomsticks, or else took their parents wands sneakily when their attention was diverted. There were wizards from all over the world here, not just from Europe, but from America and Asia and Africa as well; a tall, black wizard who reminded Albus of Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister for Magic, was talking to a young French couple over in the shadow of a large sycamore tree.

The whole effect was very impressive, and Albus suddenly realised how much of the wizarding world he never saw from day to day. Whilst he did watch his mother make the clothes iron themselves, or the dishwasher work of its' own accord, he had never really _seen_ this kind of wizarding way of life before. Very few people – now that they were out of the sight of any villagers – were wearing Muggle clothing here, and nearly all carried their wands, in broad daylight. Albus' parents rarely used their wands inside the house, and the only time they ever really used magic was at work. And even then, Ginny only worked part-time as a Healer at St. Mungo's hospital; the other half of her time was divided between writing the sports column for the _Daily Prophet_ and looking after Albus, James and Lily – and Harry, of course, though he continuously insisted that he didn't need looking after.

When Albus reached the water tap, there was a very long queue and Albus groaned under his breath. _Ah well_, he thought, _at least no one is looking at you here_.

Famous last words.

"Potter, do you mind getting out of the way?" huffed a haughty girl's voice from behind him.

He spun round, and came face to face with Esmeralda Zabini. She was Scorpius' cousin, whose mother was Mrs. Zabini's sister. Albus drew himself up to full height. He hated Esmeralda Zabini.

"You'll have to wait in the queue" he said, with as much venom in his voice as he could muster.

"I don't _wait_" Esmeralda sneered, her green eyes – the colour of moss, and nothing like Albus' –narrowing above her high cheekbones.

"You're going to have to" Albus retorted, and he hurried forward to the end of the line for the water tap. Or rather, he tried to – because then Esmeralda cut right in front of him, pushing him out of the way so that she could get into the queue. Albus fumed. _If only Rose were here now_, he thought to himself, _she could give Esmeralda a piece of her mind_. He chuckled to himself as he thought of what Rose might to do someone like Esmeralda.

"Something funny, Potter?" she asked, her eyes on him again. "You know, I think you and your redheaded friend are a bad influence on my cousin. Some people's families have _morals_ to uphold, you know, and you're damming those morals by trying to get my cousin to be friends with _Gryffindors_"

The last word was a snarl, and Albus felt the rage boil in his veins. It was bad enough that she constantly teased Scorpius about his personality, his character, his choice of friends – but having a go at Albus, when she didn't even know him? That was uncalled for. Not for the first time, Albus wished that he wasn't only just in his second year at Hogwarts – how he would have loved to have taken on Esmeralda in a duel, right there!

"Shut up about my family" he snapped. Esmeralda grinned wickedly, raising one delicate eyebrow. Taunting him. He was just about to say something much more cutting, but they were interrupted.

"Is there a problem, Esme?" a woman's voice asked concernedly, and a hand appeared on Esmeralda's shoulder.

"No, Mother" came the reply. Ah, so the woman was Mrs. Zabini.

Albus looked in her direction, and resisted the urge to raise his eyebrows just as Esmeralda had done. Daphne Zabini was tall, with golden blonde hair to her shoulders, moss green eyes like her daughter, with the same half-sneer on her would-be pretty face. She looked nothing like Astoria, who was short and dark-haired and smiley; Daphne was severe and condescending by comparison.

"And who is this?" Mrs. Zabini enquired, inclining her head towards Albus.

"Albus Potter" Esmeralda said in a flat, uninterested voice. "Who else?"

"Of course, I should have recognised you. I see you have inherited your fathers' looks" Daphne pointed out, and her tone was not pleased. She continued to look at Albus for a few moments, before turning away and saying, very pointedly, to her daughter:

"Come, Esme, we'll find water elsewhere. We don't have to mix with these wizards".

Albus was distracted all the while he collected the water from the tap and started back to their tent with it. He was careful not to spill any of it, and so had to walk very s-l-o-w-l-y. The return journey, because of this, took longer than it should have done, but it seemed to pass by quickly as Albus had a lot on his mind. Anger burned within him as he remembered Esmeralda's words, accusing him and Rose of being a bad influence on Scorpius...and then he recalled what Hagrid had said, about the Zabinis being one of the very few wizarding families left who still believed that Purebloods were superior. The Malfoys had been cut out of that equation some years ago, after the Second Wizarding War had ended, and very few Slytherins seemed to believe also, apart from Esmeralda Zabini and her friends, Nott and Goyle and even Cynthia Bulstrode, whom Albus suspected only followed Esmeralda's decisions to feel included in her Pureblood clique.

When he got back to the campsite, he dumped the bucket of water on the floor at the mouth of the tent a little more forcefully than necessary, seething.

"What's with the face?" Harry commented, looking over the top of a magazine titled _The Quidditch Enthusiast_. On the front was a picture of the England Quidditch Team, waving and grinning as their Captain, Miranda Wood, held aloft the giant golden Quidditch World Cup.

"Esmeralda Zabini thought she was being funny" Albus muttered darkly, flopping down onto the squashed sofa inside the tent sitting room. Though it looked small from the outside, on the inside it resembled a small flat; it had two small bedrooms, a tiny kitchen, reasonably-sized sitting room and even a miniscule bathroom.

"When did you see Esmeralda Zabini?" his father asked, curious now.

"She jumped the queue in front of me when I was waiting to get to the tap" Albus explained, the anger not entirely gone from his voice. He told the story of what had happened, and of the arrival of Daphne Zabini, Esmeralda's mother.

***

As the sky darkened and the excitement of the crowds lifted into the air, Albus could barely sit still. It was time for the match of the century – or so it was being called on the radio and in all the magazines and newspapers. This was the first time England had qualified for a World Cup final in several years. And now, they were to play Russia in the semi-finals.

As they made their way to the stadium, Albus craned his neck, trying to see the outline of the Quidditch pitch, the fifty-foot-high goalposts in the gloom, lit only by giant lights in each corner, and the stars that peppered the sky. They jostled through the throng of animated witches and wizards, and Albus cried out in delight when they reached the wooden steps that would take them to their seats. The stadium itself was enormous; the pitch was twice as long and wide as the one at Hogwarts, the stands reaching even higher into the sky, and the magically-activated billboard way above Albus' head was advertising Mrs. Skower's All Purpose Magical Mess Remover, a new model of Golden Arrow and a potion that kept clothes clean for weeks. They climbed higher and higher, and the noise all around them was deafening.

After ten minutes, they stopped at the third tier of seats and an elated look on his father's face told Albus they were in the right place. They must have been eight feet high, or more! They had a perfect view over the pitch at both ends, and the amplified screen that showed the game play for those whose seats weren't as fortunate was right opposite them. They quickly found their seats, but Albus was too excited to sit down; he peered over the edge of the stands, down onto the pitch, marvelling at the immense size of it. He had never seen a Quidditch stadium this vast, not even in the photographs in _Quidditch Through the Ages_. He could only guess then that this particular stadium had only newly been built, because _Quidditch Through the Ages_ was more than thirty years old. In a bizarre moment of inquisitive thinking, he wondered if the book, like _Hogwarts: A History_, had a newer, updated version.

Then there was a deafening bang, and an explosion of colour erupted high in the air above them. Albus would have thought them Muggle fireworks, had he not seen Kingsley Shacklebolt take to stands in the Minister's Box at that moment, wand held aloft in front of him. The Minister for Magic of more than twenty years put his wand to his throat, and then the entire stadium was filled with the slow, deep voice of the Minister.

"What an extraordinary night this is for all of us! I welcome each and every one of you personally to this years' Quidditch World Cup Semi-Final which takes place here tonight. But this is not the time for talking – please join me in showing your appreciation for the England National Quidditch Team!"

***

"Wow, that was _amazing_!" Albus cried on his way back down the steps that lead back from the stadium. He had never seen a Quidditch game like it in his whole life. It made the House tournament matches he competed in at Hogwarts seem very tame, and if he may dare to say it, boring.

"I know" his father said, unable to keep the grin off his face.

"Did you see the hairpin dive that Miranda Wood made to escape Volkomov? I thought she would crash straight into him!" Albus said in awe, his green eyes glittering.

"I still say the Wronski Feint that Harper did was better" Harry tested his son.

"Nah, Harper's not a patch on Miranda Wood, she's loads better _and_ she's a girl. Anyway, Harper only had to do that Wronski Feint because Wood almost scalped him when a she hit a Bludger in the wrong direction, so it doesn't count" Albus reasoned.

"I still say it was better" Harry replied. "Nothing can beat the Wronski Feint, Al. _Nothing_" There was a menace in his voice that could only come from such a solid Quidditch fan as his father. Albus shrugged his shoulders, and then launched once more into his blow-by-blow account of every goal, save, dive, and swerve made by both the Russian and English teams. Sadly, England had lost by a mere thirty points and were now out of the final, but that didn't dampen his spirits. No, it didn't dampen his spirits at all.

A mischevious glint appeared in Harry's eyes.

"Just wait till we get home" he said. "Then you have my absolute permission to talk about the game as loudly as you want when James is around until you drive him round the bend".

**_A/N: Ah, now wasn't that sweet? I didn't write the entire Quidditch World Cup scene for two reasons, a) I can't write Quidditch scenes very well and b) I wanted this chapter to be more of a familial fluff kind of thing, bonding blah blah blah, than an action scene, so I've left the game out. But don't despair! There will be more Quidditch later on when Al and Co. return to Hogwarts. In the meantime, you know the drill - Love it? Hate it? On the fence? Whatever, JUST REVIEW IT!_**

**_Next Chapter: Scorpius Malfoy comes to stay, threats are made, and Harry shows Al and Scorpius the first of his memories from his own days at Hogwarts. Oh, and Victoire isn't happy. Again. xxx_**


	3. The Memories

_**A/N: Hello again - long time no update! This chapter was done quite a bit faster than I thought, I was expecting at least two weeks' worth of work on this one, I guess I'm faster than I expected! Anyway, just a heads up, all the memories as mentioned in the chapter title are in MOVIE-VERSE because they're easier to write that way than copying the passage directly from the book, and all other memories across the series will be in Movie-Verse too. Except for the extra ones I've made up myself, but they won't appear until later books. Just in case you think I'm not following the story properly. Anyhoo, take a look and I hope you enjoy it!**_

_CHAPTER THREE_

_The Memories _

"Mum!" James yelled over the banisters again. "Mum, Al won't shut up about the Quidditch World Cup and he's driving me crazy! Mum! _Mum!_" He shouted. It was seven o'clock in the evening, and the day had been very hot.

From the doorway of his bedroom, Albus sniggered. He had been tormenting James for the past week with thrilling tales of the Quidditch World Cup, recalling every second of game play, even acting out the more dramatic parts – and, just as Harry had predicted, it was driving James up the wall.

Ginny came out of the kitchen and scowled up the stairs.

"Stop shouting all over the place, James!" she scolded. Albus saw an opportunity to give James a taste of his own medicine.

"Yeah" he agreed. "There's probably a little deaf couple in New York fast asleep that didn't _quite_ hear you just then". James whirled around and stuck his tongue out at his little brother.

"Shut up, Al" he retorted. Albus only shrugged his shoulders and went back into his bedroom.

There was an owl tapping on his window. He recognised the owl as belonging to Scorpius, and he noticed that there was a roll of parchment tied to its' leg. He must be delivering his answer! Albus had written to his new friend the day after he got back from the Quidditch World Cup, asking him to come and stay. Albus went over to the window and opened it, stepping out of the way as the greyish owl zoomed in and flew across the room to his desk, where his own owl, Jemima, was dozing. She peered out from under her wing at the newcomer.

The owl held out one scaly leg for Albus to untie the letter he carried. He sat on his bed and smoothed it out.

_Dear Albus_, it said in Scorpius' small, neat handwriting.

_It's fine, mum and dad say I can stay at your house. Honestly, giving the history between my dad and your dad I thought he would say no, but he said yes! Mum said later that he did it because he felt bad about yelling at me that time._

_Anyway, when should I come to yours? Mum said she would take me there in the car because she's off work this week._

_Scorpius_

Albus grinned to himself. It would be so much fun to have other company other than James and Lily and his various cousins – someone his own age that didn't include Rose. For once, he would be outnumbered against James and his pranks, or Lily and her general air of being a chatterbox. He read Scorpius' letter again. _Mum said later that he did it because he felt bad about yelling at me that time_...Albus knew what 'that time' was referring to. Scorpius had asked his father about the Second Wizarding War and it hadn't gone down too well.

Albus snatched up a pen from his desk and a piece of parchment, and scribbled answer to Scorpius.

_Is tomorrow too short notice for you?_

_Albus_

He then rolled up the parchment, tied it to Scorpius' owl's leg, and watched as he set off through the window again. Albus closed the window once the owl had left.

***

The next morning, Albus was lying on his front on his bed, _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ open in front of him and a quill in one hand when he heard the distinct sound of car engine in the drive. He knew it couldn't be either of his parents, because they were both in the house. He got up and flew to the window. A small, battered blue Ford car pulled up in the driveway. Albus recognised it at once as Astoria Malfoy's car.

Eagerly, he jumped down the stairs and into the hallway, landing centimetres away from the hall table – but his father had beaten him to it. He opened the door, and Scorpius stood on the front porch, a broad grin on his face. Behind him stood his mother; she had swapped her high heels and fancy hats for normal, everyday clothes under her purple coat, and Albus suspected that this was one of her days off from work.

"Hi, Albus" Scorpius said.

"Hi" he replied.

There was a scuffle, and a small red-haired someone appeared on the stairs. Lily had come to investigate.

"So _you're_ Scorpius Malfoy" she announced.

"Um...yeah, I am" answered Scorpius.

Harry leaned in towards the door and stage-whispered, "Lily likes to talk a lot. It might be better if you stay out of her way unless you want a Spanish Inquisition". Astoria laughed, then patted her son on the shoulder and handed him a gargantuan holdall. Scorpius caught Albus' gaze and rolled his eyes in his mother's direction. Harry noticed, too.

"You know, he's staying for a week, not the whole year" he commented.

"Oh, I know" Mrs. Malfoy replied, and then smiled before lowering her voice. "It wasn't my idea, believe me". Harry raised his eyebrows at that, but said nothing.

"Well, aren't you going to come in then?" Lily asked from the stairs. Albus felt his face flood with colour. Trust Lily to pick _this_ moment in time to be her (un) unusual self.

"Go on, darling. Go have fun" Astoria said. Then she turned to Harry and spoke to him directly. "Oh, and Draco told me tell you – and these are his words, not mine – 'If you don't bring him back exactly as he was when he got here, then don't bother coming in work next week'" Then she rolled her eyes to show exactly how much stock she put in her husband's threat.

As soon as Astoria had left, Albus showed Scorpius up to his bedroom, where his mother had already set up a camp bed on Albus' bedroom floor. He turned to his friend and said in a very serious voice,

"Some things you ought to know, since your dad doesn't think you'll survive here" he raised an eyebrow, "Lily talks _all_ the time, and I mean _all_ the time. You can't ever get her to shut up. James is an idiot and likes to play pranks on me, and his favourite at the moment is swapping the sugar for the salt in the kitchen, so keep an eye out for him. Mum doesn't mind what we do as long as we don't break anything, and Rose and Hugo are coming back from France tomorrow so they'll be around as well. Auntie Angelina might come down with Roxy and Fred, and I think Uncle Charlie is visiting at the end of the week from Greece" Albus, as he said this, was pacing around his bedroom with the expression of an army General.

"Your family sound great" Scorpius said. "There's so _many_ of them"

"That's the problem" Albus explained. "There's always one or more Weasley relatives floating around the place, and you can never keep any secrets because someone is going to find out one way or the other and tell everyone else. Take James, for instance. He likes to carry gossip around, _especially_ when it involves one of us" Albus made a face when he said this.

"I wish I had a big family" Scorpius said rather sadly. "All I've got are Mum and Dad. My grandparents don't count, because they live really far away and it's always really awkward when we visit, because Dad and my granddad never speak to each other and Mum and Nan are forever trying to fill the uncomfortable silences" He paused, during which he flopped down on the camp bed where he would be sleeping. "I think I'm going to like it here".

***

Albus' prediction was correct. The following afternoon of Scorpius' stay, Hugo burst through the door of the living room and made everyone who was in there jump a mile out of their seats.

"Hugo!" scolded Aunt Hermione from out in the hallway. "Sorry, Ginny, he's a bit...er, overexcited".

Then Rose appeared, pink cheeked, wearing a brand-new shorts and t-shirt combination that Albus suspected was an early birthday present. And, it goes without saying, she was clutching a book under her arm.

"Hi, Al! How was the Quidditch World Cup?" she breathed, but before Albus had a chance to answer, she spotted Scorpius sitting next to him. "Scorpius! I didn't know you were coming!"

"I got here yesterday" Scorpius replied. "It's been great".

"So they haven't driven you up the wall yet?" Rose asked, grinning at Albus.

"Not yet" said Scorpius.

"Victoire is annoyed at Auntie Fleur, by the way" Rose said pointedly, but with the air of someone who knew this to be everyday news.

"Why?" Albus asked.

"Oh, just the fact that she won't let Teddy sleep in Victoire's room" Rose sang. Albus' mouth fell open.

"Yeah, I know" Rose said, clocking his expression. "Weird, isn't it? I wouldn't have expected for Victoire to go for someone like Teddy"

The living room door flew open once more, and Hugo appeared with Lily at his side, with Albus' Uncle Ron behind them.

"Stop banging the door!" yelled Aunt Hermione from a vaguely kitchen-like direction. "You're in someone's else's house, for Merlin's sake!" Hugo and Lily giggled.

"Sorry, Mum!" Hugo called back. "Won't do it again!" Albus, Rose and Scorpius all laughed. Yes, Scorpius had been right to call the Weasleys 'noisy' the previous evening. _They really are loud_, Albus thought to himself.

The adults talked amongst themselves; whilst Aunt Hermione and his mother remained in the kitchen, probably discussing things like the price of Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover, Harry saw an opportunity at once to launch into an animated conversation about Quidditch with his best friend and brother-in-law. This left Albus, Rose, Scorpius, Hugo and Lily in the middle of the living room. _Well, at least James hasn't arrived to poke his nose around yet_, Albus thought. _Makes a change from what he usually does_.

Albus, who wanted to show Scorpius his pictures from the Quidditch World Cup, excused himself from the crowd of Weasleys – and in Albus' and his father's case, Potters - and beckoned Scorpius to follow him.

"I can't believe you actually went to the World Cup semi-final" Scorpius said, taking the large box of photographs from Albus. "I've been pestering dad for ages about it, but he refused to take me. He said he couldn't get time off work".

Scorpius looked at the floor. "He's always too busy working".

"You should have said! You could have come with us, I'm sure my dad wouldn't have minded" Albus exclaimed.

"Really?" Scorpius asked, beaming. Albus nodded.

"Of course, we're friends aren't we?" he replied.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Harry came in. The two boys looked up from the photographs they had been examining.

"Oh, good, you're both here" Harry said, closing the door behind him. "I was thinking...whilst everyone is downstairs minding their own business...that I've got the chance to keep my promise to you" he explained. Albus realised with a jolt that his father was talking about the memories. The memories of him and Scorpius' father.

"Now?" Albus asked.

"You're both here, and this does concern both of you....I know you hate being kept in the dark about it, and I did promise to show you the memories" Harry replied.

"Okay" Albus said. "Scorpius?"

"Yes, alright. It might be interesting" his friend answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh, it will be" Harry said, grinning. Albus wondered what kind of things were in those memories.

They went into the office that was next to the bathroom, a tiny space that Harry used for doing his paperwork for the Ministry. All the room held was a battered old desk, a floor lamp, several cardboard boxes, old rolls of Christmas wrapping paper, and a small cupboard which was always padlocked. Harry rummaged around behind the desk and pulled out a small, dusty brass key. Albus filled with excitement as he knew that the key fit the padlock. This must be where his father kept the memories. He crouched down to unlock the cupboard, and the tiny door swung open, revealing several rows of small glass phials. Each one was filled with a bluish grey liquid – or was it gas? – swirling around in intricate patterns. Next to them was a wooden basin. Albus peered in closer, and noticed that each of the phials had labels on them, and on each label there was a short note, and a date. He couldn't read them from where he stood, next to Scorpius behind his father. Harry scanned the labels, then picked one out and put it on the desk. Next, he took out the basin and set it next to the phial.

"These" Harry explained, picking up the phial. "are memories. Professor Dumbledore told me that they're handy if you've got a lot of stuff floating around your head, which I happen to have. So I put the important things in these little bottles" he held up the phial, "for safekeeping. I'm not going to show you all of them, because believe me, there are things here that I don't want you to see until you're older, but you'll see some of them, and most of these come from when I was the same age as you, and a bit older".

Albus and Scorpius looked at each other. There were things he didn't _want_ them to see until they're older? What kind of things were _they_? Harry uncorked the phial and tipped its contents into the basin.

"These ones are from my first year at Hogwarts, when I first met Draco. I think the first one is just before the Sorting" Harry announced. He waved his hand in the direction of the basin, which was full of the swirling teal-coloured substance.

"To see the memories, you have to stick your head in it" he continued. "It's not very comfortable, and I should know, I've done this hundreds of times with Albus Dumbledore. But what you see will look and feel very real. So" he said. "Who wants to go first?"

Albus and Scorpius both involuntarily backed away. Harry laughed.

"Okay, I'll go first and you follow on, alright?" he said. Both Albus and Scorpius nodded. Then he leaned in towards the basin, and the moment his face touched the swirling substance, he was sucked into the basin as though it was whirlpool, and was gone in seconds. Albus stared after him, his mouth open. Then, gingerly, he went up to the basin and put his face close to the gas-nor-liquid memories.

There was a lot of bright light, and he felt as though he was shooting down a very bendy straw, and he wasn't sure which way was up. The next thing he knew, his feet met solid ground and his father was standing next to him. He looked at his feet; he was standing on sand-coloured flagstones, thrown into shadow by the many torches that hung in brackets on the walls. He recognised this place. It was the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts. There was a faint whooshing sound, and Scorpius appeared, looking paler than usual and apprehensive.

"Take a look" Harry said, nodding to a place just a little way from where they were standing. It was then that Albus heard the noisy chatter of voices, filling the wide space with laughter. With a jolt, he saw where the noise was coming from; a gaggle of a hundred or so children were grouped near the Entrance staircase. With another excited jolt, he knew these to be the first years that his father had gone to school with. Albus and Scorpius both craned their necks to get a better look. As they could only see the backs of their heads, Albus didn't see anyone he might recognise now.

They moved closer; Albus felt nervous, strange, as if he were spying on something. And then – his heart flipped over – he saw two boys near the front of the gaggle of students. One was rather small and skinny, with messy black hair and glasses. The other was taller, ganglier, with red hair. His dad and his Uncle Ron. A little way behind them, he spotted a girl with a lot of very bushy brown hair. Aunt Hermione.

He couldn't help but allow a broad grin to spread across his face, which his father mirrored when Albus caught his eye. Then the group parted, and Scorpius nudged him in the ribs.

"Look, that's my dad" he whispered, though there was no need; this was a memory, and no one here could see nor hear them. Albus looked in the direction Scorpius pointed; and there, on the extreme left of the group, was Scorpius' father, flanked on both sides by two massive boys with surly expressions. Scorpius really did look like him.

"So it's true then!" Draco Malfoy called over the chatter of students, his own expression haughty and smug. "As I was saying on the train...Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts". His tone was not one of approval. At the mention of Harry's name, the students began whispering excitedly amongst one another. But he had not finished speaking. He spoke, now, directly to Harry.

"This is Crabbe" he pointed to the boy on his left, "and Goyle. And I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy" he said. Albus leaned in closer, and heard his Uncle Ron give a snort of distaste. This did not go unnoticed by Draco, who now looked at him as if he were something horrible he'd found on the bottom of his shoe.

"Think my name's funny, do you?" he asked, his grey eyes narrow slits. "There's no need to ask _yours_. Red hair, and a hand-me-down robe?" He jeered. "You must be a Weasley".

"There's nothing wrong with being a Weasley!" Albus exclaimed, so that he almost missed what was said next.

Draco had now moved so that he was standing directly in front of Harry.

"You'll soon find that some wizard families are better than others, Potter" he said, with a pointed glance of disapproval towards Ron. "You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there" And he offered his hand towards Harry, who looked at it as if Draco had offered him a dead animal. Then he looked up, and glared.

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks" Harry retorted.

And then the Entrance Hall disappeared; Albus had the strangest sensation of floating in mid-air for a split second, before the scene re-formed around them. They were no longer inside the castle, but outside, standing in the middle of what Albus recognised as the Entrance courtyard. The sun was shining, but there was a slight wind that ruffled his hair.

"Out of the way!" called a voice, and Albus saw a woman with spiky silver hair stalk across the grass not a way off from where they were standing. Madam Hooch. Her robes billowed as she walked, and then she was bending down over a boy lying on the grass. When he helped him up, Albus recognised him as Neville Longbottom.

"She was my flying instructor when I was at Hogwarts, too. I can't believe she's still there, to be honest" Harry said in a low voice. All the students, Albus now saw, were carrying broomsticks. He peered at the emblems on their chests – Gryffindors and Slytherins. He spotted Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco Malfoy amongst them.

"Oh, dear, it's a broken wrist" Madam Hooch said, helping Neville up. Then she stood, supporting him with her arm, and called to the rest of the class. "I want everyone to keep both feet on the ground whilst I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing, understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will be out of Hogwarts before they can say Quidditch" she warned, her yellowish, hawk-like eyes flashing.

As soon as Madam Hooch had left, Draco Malfoy swaggered – there was no other way to describe it – forward and picked something up off the grass. Albus craned his neck and saw that he was holding a small, marble-sized ball.

"It's a Remembrall!" Scorpius whispered.

"Did you see his face? If the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he would have remembered to fall on his fat arse" Draco sneered. The crowd of Slytherins around him roared with laughter. Neither Albus nor Scorpius found it funny.

"Give it here, Malfoy!" the eleven-year-old Harry demanded, glaring at him. Draco's smirk widened.

"No" he said. He grinned wickedly. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find" And he jumped onto the back of his broomstick and flew off into the air. "How about on the roof?"

A now furious Harry made to get on the back of his own broomstick, but Hermione stood in front of him, barring his way.

"Harry, no _way_, you heard what Madam Hooch said, and beside, you don't even know to fly-" she began, but it was too late. He had taken off into the after Draco.

"What an idiot" Hermione muttered to herself, frowning after Harry.

"Way to go, dad!" Albus praised.

Harry sped after Draco, who was hovering in mid-air way above them.

"Give it here, Malfoy or I'll knock you off your broom!" Harry yelled.

"Is that so?" Draco challenged, holding the Remembrall in the air. Harry flattened himself against the broomstick and flew towards him at breakneck speed; but he didn't knock him off his broomstick. He spun around in mid-air before turning back to Harry, who was no floating behind him.

"Have it your way then!" he shouted, and he threw the Remembrall with as much force as he could. Harry, noticing it fly through the air, shot off after it; Albus' mouth gaped open. He was a brilliant flyer!

"You're really good, Mr. Potter!" Scorpius exclaimed in awe. They watched as Harry, coming within inches of a window atop one of the tall towers, spun and caught the Remembrall mid-flight.

And then, just as quickly as before, the scene dissolved around them and Albus felt the curious sensation of being sucked out a vacuum cleaner the wrong way; and then his feet hit soft carpet. They were back in the tiny study, and Scorpius was still gaping, blue eyes wide.

"And _that_, boys, is how I got to be the Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team" Harry announced proudly, winking at Albus. Scorpius' eyebrows disappeared under his fringe.

"My dad was horrible to Professor Longbottom!" he said. Harry looked at him concernedly, and then crouched down so that he was at the same level as Scorpius.

"I know that didn't show your father in a very good light" he explained. "But I believe your father was brave in what he did, and nothing you see in these memories will change that, alright? Once he'd dropped the act and changed his ways, he earned himself a lot of respect from me, and others too" He stood up again. "Okay?"

"Okay" Scorpius said, feeling a little better now.

"So it was because of Mr. Malfoy that you got be Seeker?" Albus asked incredulously.

***

Much later, Albus and Scorpius were wide awake and unable to sleep. They had been talking about what they had seen in the memories for most of the day, but still felt there was more to what they had seen.

"It's weird, isn't it? Knowing our dads used to hate each other, but they're friends now" Scorpius said.

"And we're friends" Albus added. "That's weird, too, because of the past enmity and all that. My dad was brave standing up to him, though" he continued, with pride in his voice.

"Yeah, he was. Judging by my dad's expression he was probably not used to people doing that. Mum told me once" Scorpius explained, "that he only realised what really mattered when it was almost too late. I don't know what that means, though, and when I asked her she just shook her head. My parents are fishy like that, they're really cryptic, they don't tell me anything outright" He gave a sigh, turning over in bed.

"I wonder what happened to make him change" Albus mused. "If he was that bad when he was at school – no offence, Scorpius – it must have been something pretty huge".

"None taken, and you're right" his friend replied. "I was thinking the same thing" They were quiet for a moment.

"You're dad's really cool, you know" Scorpius said.

"I know" Albus replied, unable to keep from grinning. "He's the best".

**_A/N: Ah, now wasn't that exciting? I think it was! I know there were only two memories in this chapter, but there are more to come, I promise - I hope I made them as convincing as they are written in JKR's style and I hope I got it right! Anyway, in the next chapter, Al and Scorpius do some digging and discover a little more than they would like about this mysterious 'promise' between Harry and Draco...._**

**_HPfangirl4life xx_**

**_P.S. Please review whenever you can, I value your comments! Even if you hated it, I need to know so that I can make the story better!_**


	4. The Breakable Unbreakable Vow

_**A/N: Wow, two updates in three days! I'm getting better at this. Enjoy, and prepare yourself for an atomic bomb of a chapter!**_

_CHAPTER FOUR_

_The Breakable Unbreakable Vow_

Over the next few days, Albus spent most of his time introducing Scorpius to the various members of the Weasley clan who happened to be visiting; after the initial shock of seeing a Malfoy in a Potter's house, Grandma Molly had enveloped him in one of her cut-off-your-breath hugs and told him that she was glad that some traditions were meant to be broken.

Some, however – not naming any names (Victoire) – where not as pleased to see Scorpius there. Albus thought it was mostly due to the fact that she was still angry with her mother about Teddy (Albus still couldn't get his head around that one) and was siphoning her frustration off on anyone in the vicinity. Indeed, she was downright surly when Uncle Bill came to drop off some paperwork from the Auror Office for Harry and only nodded or shook her head when she was spoken to. But most of the Weasleys seemed to like him, and for that Albus was grateful.

When Albus _wasn't_ trying to stop James from 'experimenting' with Dungbombs or Lily from asking Scorpius awkward questions, he spent his time getting to know his friend, and Scorpius got to know him. Apart from them both being passionate about Quidditch (which goes without saying), Albus discovered that what Scorpius wanted more than anything in the world was a cat, and that he was going to ask for one for his birthday no matter what his mother said. He discovered that his favourite dessert was ice cream even though he had very sensitive teeth; Albus said that he always had sugar withdrawal when he went to his Aunt Hermione's house because her parents were dentists and she also enforced the no-sweets rule as they did.

On the fourth day of Scorpius' stay, they travelled to The Burrow to visit Albus' Grandma and Granddad Weasley – all of them; Harry, Ginny, Albus, James, Lily (and Scorpius); Uncle George, Aunt Angelina, Fred and Roxanne; Uncle Bill, Aunt Fleur, Victoire, Dominique and Louis; and last but not least, Uncle Percy, Aunt Audrey, Lucy and Molly. And if that wasn't enough, Teddy had also decided to come at the last minute, bringing the total number of visitors to The Burrow to twenty people, not counting Molly and Arthur themselves. Albus, stunned, had absolutely no idea how all of them were going to fit in the tiny space the house held. In these numbers, half the visiting party would end up in the garden.

Because it wasn't practical to have the entire family use the Floo Network to get to The Burrow, Albus and company were travelling by car – well, two cars really as there were six of them, with Scorpius, and only five seats in one car. Uncle George was Apparating directly to The Burrow with Aunt Angelina, Fred and Roxy, and so were Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey. That left Victoire, Dominique, Louis and their parents, along with Rose, Hugo and _their_ parents, being the only ones Flooing into The Burrow.

So it was with much strategy and organisation that Harry eventually decided that he would take Albus and Scorpius in his car, and Ginny would take Lily and James in hers. It was for the best really, to take James out of the way of any opportunity to tease Albus, so his parents were really doing him a favour.

Being the only ones travelling by car, they were the last to arrive and every available seating space had been taking up, so they were left to stand wherever they could find a spot. It was, as Albus had expected, packed like tinned sardines at The Burrow; Fred and James went off into a corner and immediately put their heads together, whispering conspiratorially, whilst Aunt Angelina kept a beady eye on them out of the corner of her gaze. Victoire – having arranged her face into a painfully cheerful expression – was perched on the arm of the chair in which Teddy was sitting, but seemed to be ignoring her mother's watchful eyes from next to the fireplace.

After a while, there was a general lull in the conversation as the adults turned to talking about boring Ministry issues. Uncle Percy was rabbiting on about Apparition regulations and some kind of strike in Magical Maintenance; Albus and Scorpius avoided looking at each other over their game of Exploding Snap when Uncle Percy asked Harry what he thought and he all but turned brick red, because he hadn't been listening to what Uncle Percy was saying at all.

Fred and Roxy joined them for an Exploding Snap tournament, and after a couple of rounds Rose, Hugo, and Lily pitched in too. Rose was dreadful and lost every game; Lily was almost as good as Scorpius and watching the two of them play against each other was one of the funniest things Albus had ever seen. Lily leapt to her feet and cried out in celebration when she won, causing the adults to all turn their heads in her direction for a moment. Blushing fiercely, she sat back down again and hid her face behind her long red hair.

Unawares to any of them, Lily's spontaneous act of jubilation had provided the perfect distraction for Fred and Roxy to slip away into the kitchen unnoticed. In fact, none of the children even realised they had disappeared until they heard Victoire scream from the kitchen,

"FRED! ROXANNE! THAT'S _DISGUSTING! _I _TOLD_ YOU TO _LEAVE_ ME AND TEDDY _ALONE_, YOU ARE _SO_ CHILDISH, _HOW_ YOU EVER MANAGED TO NOT GET EXPELLED FROM HOGWARTS...!"

"Oh, what ees eet now?" Aunt Fleur grumbled very audibly. "She ees very temperamental, Victoire, she 'as ze temper of a dragon sometimes!" She shook her head and sighed.

Albus and Scorpius were struggling not to laugh, as were Hugo and Dominique, who was lying on her back across the carpet humming to herself. Aunt Fleur went off into the kitchen to see to Victoire; and then Harry, Uncle Ron, Uncle George and Uncle Bill were all free to start laughing themselves. Aunt Audrey and Aunt Hermione glared at them silently from the sofa.

"Will they ever leave her alone, George?" Uncle Bill asked, in between bursts of laughter.

"No, I don't think they will" Uncle George replied. "And I'm not going to stop them, it's too much fun"

"You're right, there" Uncle Ron agreed. Aunt Hermione's scowl deepened.

"You shouldn't encourage them, Ron" she scolded. "It's not going to help anyone".

Aunt Fleur returned to the living room, bright pink spots on her cheeks. Victoire, scowling for England and France, was behind her, followed by a sheepish-looking Teddy. Albus hadn't noticed before, but he had taken a break from his usual bright turquoise hair; today it was purple and pointing in every direction. He winked at Albus when he caught his eye.

"It appears zat Fred and Roxanne thought zat it would be funny to set off a Dungbomb under Victoire's chair" Aunt Fleur huffed. "But Victoire did not see ze funny side"

Right on cue, Victoire stuck her nose in the air pointedly. "Angelina, you really must make sure zat George 'as more control over zees two" she waved her hand in Fred and Roxanne's direction, "eet ees getting out of 'and" Fleur added.

"I try, Fleur, but I'm afraid he's just as bad as both of them! What was I thinking, marrying a man who owned a joke shop?" Angelina laughed."And sorry, Fleur – Victoire – about the Dungbomb. Fred, Roxy, apologise. Now" And Aunt Angelina glared at her two children. Fred, in his fifth year at Hogwarts, and Roxy, a year older than James, both stopped grinning and looked positively solemn.

"Sorry, Auntie Fleur" Roxy mumbled. "Sorry, Victoire, won't happen again".

"Yeah, sorry" echoed Fred, staring at the carpet.

"Zat ees quite alright" Aunt Fleur said.

"No harm done" Uncle Bill agreed.

Scorpius, who had been watching the entire spectacle torn between amusement and shock, now turned to Albus once more, grinning widely.

"Is it always this dramatic?" he asked.

"Are you kidding?" James cried. "This is them being _normal_!"

"Oi!" Fred yelled. "What's that about me not being normal?"

"Well, it is true, Fred" said Dominique, sitting upright again and smoothing down her short blonde hair. "We _are_ a bit mad. Poor Scorpius must be wondering if we were raised by wolves or something" She tipped a wink in his direction.

"Oh, no, I like it!" Scorpius said quickly, but Albus did not suspect him of lying. He sounded truly genuine.

"That's that, then" Dominique concluded, and settled herself back onto the carpet, humming the theme tune for _Witching Hour_ on the Wizarding Wireless Network.

***

Albus was on his way back from the bathroom a couple of hours later when he noticed that the kitchen door was slightly ajar. This was odd for two reasons; one, the kitchen door was always held wide open by the doorstop of a black and white pig; and two, the fact that the door was almost closed made Albus realise that someone must have come to call and that it must be important, but otherwise why would they close the door? Albus had learnt to recognise a closed door as a sign of no interruptions when his father's Ministry colleagues came to the house – but it was late in the afternoon, so why would anyone want to talk to his father now?

Albus went back to his bedroom and closed the door behind him.

"Scorpius, there's someone downstairs, I think they're talking to dad...." he trailed off; he'd noticed that Scorpius was staring out the window with a look of absolute confusion on his face.

"It's my dad" Scorpius replied. "My dad's here, that's his car" He pointed out of the window, down into the driveway. Albus looked in the direction he was pointing, and sure enough, there was a sleek black car parked on the gravel in front of the house. Then, an idea occurred to him.

"Fancy knowing what they're talking about?" Albus asked. Well, if their parents weren't going to give them the answers they needed....

"What? How?" Scorpius replied. Albus grinned.

"You wanted to know what secrets your dad's keeping from you...this might be the way you'll get to find out!" Albus explained. Realisation dawned on Scorpius' face – and he grinned, too. "We'll use the Extendable Ears, I think I've got some spare ones...we can lower it down to the door and see what their talking about!" Albus went on, now rummaging in his cupboards for the said Extendable Ears. "Here they are!" he said, pulling out a very long piece of flesh-coloured string. "C'mon"

They crept out onto the landing, careful not to make a noise that might give them away. The kitchen door was still slightly open; very carefully, Albus took one end of the Extendable Ears and poked it through the slats in the banisters. Slowly, he eased the string down until it was within hearing range of the kitchen door. He held the other end between him and Scorpius, close to their ears – and then, clear as day, they could hear everything they were saying downstairs.

"I've kept my promise, you know I have" this was Harry. Albus leaned in closer.

"I'm not saying you have, I just think it's best for the both of them if some things remain where they are" this was Scorpius' father, Draco. He sounded worried.

"So what, you're just never going to tell him?" Harry asked. _Tell me what?_ Scorpius mouthed impatiently in the direction of the door.

"That's not what I said, Harry, I just said-" Draco began, but was cut off almost immediately.

"You just as good as admitted that your – _our_ promise means nothing! Wasn't this the whole point, so that Scorpius and Albus can know the truth when they're ready to handle it? And now you've changed your mind" Harry said, exasperated.

"It's not the same for you; you've done nothing that your children could ever be ashamed of!" Draco replied.

"I let more than a hundred people willingly throw their lives away for me" Harry said, his voice hard. "And no, don't say it was brave or noble or inevitable, because I never wanted that to happen!" he added. Albus' heart was thumping in his chest. He glanced to his left; Scorpius was wide-eyed, disbelieving.

"But that's nothing...compared...to the things I've done" Draco said, so quietly that they had to strain their ears to hear properly. Scorpius blanched. "Nothing is worse than that".

"Which is why we agreed, swore on it, not to tell them anything until they were older" Harry pointed out. "When they can fully understand, and appreciate, _why_ things happened the way they did, and _why_ we had no choice but to do them". We? What was this 'we'? Albus swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry with shock.

"I almost pulled Scorpius out of Hogwarts, you know" Draco said, still very quiet. Albus' mouth dropped open. "I was going to send him to another school, one where there would be no risk of him ever..." He trailed off, and then began again. "It very nearly came to that, too...but I changed my mind at the last minute. It came very close. I didn't want to pass off the family skeletons onto him, I didn't want him to have to live with that...having to endure whispers and rumours, jibes from other children...I wasn't going to allow it. I'd learnt to cope with it, learnt to ignore it, but no eleven-year-old would be able to"

"He won't be ashamed of you, Draco" Harry replied.

"How do you know that?" he snapped. "Do you remember what I've done, what I've been involved in? Or have you forgotten that I've still got the Dark Mark, which is a more than a little painful reminder of what I've done, and that even after more than twenty years I'll never be able to get away from that?"

Albus dropped the Extendable Ears, but caught them before they could fall to the floor. He could scarcely believe his own normal ears. His heart was in his mouth, and he could barely take a breath. Scorpius' father had the Dark Mark. And he knew what that meant, but he daren't voice it in fear of making it seem much more frightening than it already was.

To his left, Scorpius must have been thinking along the same lines; but his face was so frozen with shock and horror that it was difficult to tell what he was thinking at all. He was staring fixedly at a spot on the wall above them.

"My dad was a Death Eater" Scorpius whispered shakily. Clearly, he'd realised what it meant, too. "My _dad_, who drives a BMW and has a mortgage and watches Muggle crime investigation shows on our Sky TV because he thinks it's really clever and who's Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement" His tone was disbelieving, and worried, and scared.

Albus, shocked and speechless, led Scorpius back to his bedroom. Neither of them knew quite what to say. Scorpius was pale and weak-kneed; he looked as if he might faint. And, Albus thought in a bitter tone that wasn't like him, Scorpius' father was right. No boy of Scorpius' age should have to know that his father used to belong to a group of the Darkest of wizards. From what Albus knew about the Death Eaters, they were cruel and vicious and imposing; they believed in Pureblood supremacy and superiority over Half-bloods, Muggle-borns and especially Muggles. Oh yes, especially Muggles.

To make up for his lack of comforting speech, Albus put his arm around Scorpius' shoulders, who gave him a weak smile as a gesture of thanks, and Albus, feeling rather sick, tried to think of something else other what he had just heard.

**_A/N: Well, that was a blow below the belt, wasn't it? Poor Scorpius! How long will he be able to keep it from Draco that he knows about his shady past, eh? *Hint hint* Anyway, you know the drill: READ - JUDGE - REVIEW! You might love it, you might hate it. Fanfiction is like Marmite, people. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!_**

**_COMING UP : It's back to Diagon Alley for Albus and Co!_**

_**HPfangirl4life xx**_


	5. Back to Diagon Alley

**_A/N: As promised, here is chapter five of _Albus Potter and the Sword of Godric Gryffindor_ - enjoy!_**

_***_

_CHAPTER FIVE_

_Back to Diagon Alley_

As the shock of discovering his father had been a Death Eater slowly wore off, Scorpius became much more relaxed and animated than he had been. That first day, he had been positively mute, simply saying that he was tired as an excuse for his drawn face and worried eyes. To make him feel better, Albus challenged him to a little competition.

"Let's see who's the better Seeker" he announced. "You or me" They were in the back garden at The Burrow, and Albus was eyeing the wide, empty stretch of lawn eagerly. He hadn't flown for a while and he was sure he would need the practice if he wanted to stay on the team. Besides, it would take Scorpius' mind off things.

"Okay" Scorpius agreed, smiling now. His suggestion had had the desire effect.

"You can use my old broom, it's still in the shed somewhere" Albus said. "That is, if I can find it under all my granddad's junk".

Albus did indeed manage to sort through the mass of old car engines, broken garden rakes, a sidecar that looked like it had been torn from a 1940s motorbike and several cardboard boxes full of wires and plugs to find his old Firebolt 110 broomstick. It had taken a while – there was rather a lot of junk in the shed – but as he rummaged through the piles of rubbish, he and Scorpius talked.

"So are you going to tell your dad that you know about him being...you know, before now?" Albus asked, partially hidden inside a particularly large cardboard box.

"I might" Scorpius replied quietly. "I mean it's...weird, knowing that he used to be one of them. He's so _normal_, you know? You wouldn't think"

"I know" Albus agreed. "It was weird when I found out my dad escaped the Killing Curse twice, because to me he's just Dad, y'know?" He threw aside a rusted old motorbike engine and several spark plugs. What on earth did his granddad keep in here?

After about an hour of digging through everything, Albus finally found the broomstick stuffed at the back of the shed behind a fly fishing set. He dusted it off with his sleeve and handed it to Scorpius, who took it eagerly. If anything would take his mind off things, it would be flying. Albus grabbed his own Firebolt 3000 from where it rested against the side of the house and they went into the garden.

"Need a hand?" called a familiar voice from the direction of the house. Teddy was leaning against one wall with his hands in his pockets; his hair was back to his favourite bright turquoise today.

"Yes please!" Albus nodded excitedly. Well, they would need someone to help throw the golf balls for them to catch. And he was pretty sure Teddy wouldn't deliberately throw them at his head like James once had done - or throw one of the Weasley's gnomes at him; he still had a scar on his right hand where one of them had bit him.

"Right, what we'll do is this" Albus explained. "Teddy's going to throw twenty golf balls at us and we've got to catch them. Whoever catches the most is the best Seeker, see?"

"Perfect!" Scorpius replied, and then narrowed his blue-grey eyes in a threatening way. "Bring it on, Potter!"

Albus merely laughed. "I think it's a bit early to be cocky, don't you, Malfoy?"

"Are we going to start or do I have to wait for you to finish your attempts at trash talk first?" Teddy asked loudly, cutting over them and holding up the bag of golf balls.

"Hey, I am _very_ good at trash talk!" Albus contradicted.

"If you say so, Al, if you say so. Now, both of you mount your brooms" Teddy called. No sooner had he said this that Albus and Scorpius were on their broomsticks, hovering a few feet above the ground, toes just reaching the long grass.

"On the count of three, you can fly up into the air, but don't go too high or you won't be able to see what's going on. Three...two...one!" Teddy said.

Albus flattened himself against his broom and shot up into the air, the breeze ruffling his already messy hair and the sun warm on the back of his neck. It felt good to be flying again, as if all the freedom in the world had been granted to him. To his right, Scorpius was circling the garden, making two laps of the lawn before zooming back to where Albus was now hovering still in the air. Then, from below, Teddy gave a thumbs up which Albus returned, then reached into the bag and threw the first golf ball into the air.

Scorpius darted for the ball immediately; but Albus was faster and he made a tight hairpin dive to catch the small white ball whizzing through the air. He caught it in his outstretched left hand and grinned; one point to him, then. Teddy threw the second ball, further away this time; Scorpius was nearer, but Albus thought he could make it...he flattened himself against his broomstick and took off in the direction the ball was spinning, if he was fast enough he could overtake Scorpius...but the latter swerved and rocketed downwards, and Scorpius let out a cry of triumph as he caught the ball in his fist. They were now drawing with each other, one point for each of them.

In fact, Albus was getting so caught up in it that it felt as if he was playing a real Quidditch match. When the House Tournaments began again in mid October, the victorious predecessors – Gryffindor – would take on Ravenclaw, the team that had come in second. Hufflepuff would play Slytherin and then each winner and loser from both games would play each other.

A third ball flew through the air towards them and Albus instinctively soared upwards to catch it at the highest point of its arc; reaching out swiftly, he snatched it from the air just as Scorpius' hand swiped the empty sky a millisecond afterwards. Scorpius elbowed Albus in the ribs in mock fury as he threw the golf ball back down to Teddy. Scorpius caught the fourth and fifth balls, diving so steeply to catch the fifth one that he almost went right over the handle of his broomstick, but somehow managed to keep a firm enough grip on the broom until he could get back up into the air. The sixth ball went to Albus, who looped rather impressively in midair to grab it as it fell back towards the ground.

By the time they had finished, they had both caught ten golf balls each, even though Scorpius insisted that his near-death experience trying to catch the fifth one should have earned him extra points.

"Nah, that was just a fluke" Albus contradicted, prodding him between the shoulder blades with the handle of his broomstick. "My dad's Harry Potter and my mum was a Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies, if anyone should get extra points it's me"

"Speak for yourself, will you?" Scorpius rolled his eyes as they traipsed back into the scrubbed kitchen and kicked off their trainers.

"I still say I was the best" Albus muttered, but spoiled the moment by tripping over his own feet, crashing into a chair and knocking it over. Scorpius and Teddy burst into laughter whilst Albus, his face flushing, brushed himself down and put the chair the right way up again.

Lily and Hugo appeared at the door, both carrying armfuls of what looked metallic spiders with a dozen pairs of long, spindly legs.

"What on earth are those?" Albus asked, pointing to the spider-like objects. Lily jerked her chin up importantly.

"They're Invisible Skin Crawlers" she said. "Uncle George said me and Hugo could have some to test before he puts them in the shop". Ah, so Uncle George was behind this.

"They don't look invisible" Scorpius interjected, one he had finished laughing.

"They're not invisible _now_" explained Hugo. "But you can press a button on the top of their heads and like go invisible, and then you can put them on someone's arm or leg or something and they can feel it walking on their skin, but they won't know it's there because they can't see it. Cool, eh?" Hugo grinned.

"Er...it depends what you mean by cool" Teddy said. "I don't think Ron will like them very much, isn't he scared of spiders?"

Hugo grinned evilly and nodded.

Then, he and Lily left, probably to try out the Invisible Skin Crawlers on Uncle Ron. That was one thing Albus was certain would not end well. Teddy turned then to Scorpius.

"We're second cousins, you know" he said. Scorpius just looked at him.

"Really? I didn't think I had any cousins apart from Esmeralda, and I hate her, so she doesn't really count" Scorpius said.

"My mum was your dad's cousin, and my grandma is your Great Aunt" Teddy explained.

"Which one? I have two Great Aunts, but we never talk about one of them" Scorpius asked.

"Andromeda" Teddy replied.

"I've never met her. At least, I don't think I have. I might have seen her when I was a baby, because I remember Mum and Dad telling me about her, but I'm not sure" Scorpius added.

"You'll have seen her when you were small; your dad visited a lot in those years after the Second War ended. You probably won't remember me, though" Teddy went on. "Once I got a bit older I spend most of my time here" he waved his arm around the kitchen, "with the rest of the Weasleys. Molly looked after me."

There was a pause in which no sound was heard apart from the murmuring of the adults in the living room, and then a scream of laughter which Albus could only guess came from Lily; he wondered whether she had tried out the Invisible Skin Crawlers, and if so, who the unlucky victim was. From the much swearing they could hear, it was probably Uncle Ron and he doubted neither his dad nor any of his uncles would tell Lily or Hugo off for it.

"Want a rematch?" Scorpius suggested, reaching for his broomstick. "I wasn't ready to lose just yet". Albus grinned.

"You're on" he replied.

***

As the duration of Scorpius' stay drew to an end, Albus was sad to see him go. Scorpius had told him and his family that he'd really enjoyed staying with them, making Ginny blush furiously – something which didn't happen often - and mumble something about friends of the family always being allowed to stay over. The same kind of thing had been displayed by Grandma Molly, only with much wide-eyed disbelief on behalf of Albus' grandfather Arthur, who could scarcely believe his ears.

On the evening of Scorpius' last day at the Potters, Ginny and her mother collaborated to cook an enormous feast fit for a king at The Burrow.

"You really do spend a lot of time here, don't you?" Scorpius pointed out to Albus and Rose over dessert, eyeing the warm kitchen in awe.

"Course we do, it's the only place big enough to hold us all when we get together because there's so many of us" Albus replied. Scorpius made a quick head count of the people currently in the room.

"Thirteen" Scorpius said. "And there's..." he mentally counted again, "...another thirteen of you, so that makes twenty six". It was then that Albus realised that Scorpius had included Teddy in his head count; he caught the latter's eye across the table and grinned. Of course Teddy was one of the family – why shouldn't he be?

"Yes, but having such a big family can be a pain" said Rose, throwing a dirty look at James, who was seated between Lily and Aunt Hermione. This wasn't a very wise move. "I mean, for one there's no secrets. As soon as something happens, you can bet ten Galleons that by lunchtime the whole family will have heard what's going on" Rose went on.

"Yeah, most of the time because James can't keep his trap shut" Albus added in a low voice; unfortunately, Harry heard him and snorted into his glass, which he was forced to cover with a cough under a displeased glare from Ginny. Scorpius laughed.

There was a minor diversion when James set off a Dungbomb under Aunt Hermione's chair, and after Ginny had dragged him off to the living room for a severe tongue-lashing and the overcooked-cabbage-and-rotting-eggs smell had been removed from the vicinity, the pudding dishes were cleared and children drifted off to their respective bedrooms to leave the adults to it. Albus, Scorpius and Rose retreated back to Albus' bedroom to play Gobstones and talk about their coming year at Hogwarts.

"We should be getting our booklists soon, it's only a few weeks away now" Rose said as she flicked a Gobstone so hard it flew across the room and landed next to Albus' open school trunk. With a heavy sigh, she went to retrieve it. "I can't wait to see what we study this year, it should be exciting!"

"Exciting for you" Albus said glumly. "The only thing I'm good at is Quidditch". Scorpius shook his head vigorously in disagreement.

"You're good at Charms" he said. "And Defence Against the Dark Arts"

"Thanks" Albus replied, flushing red. "You're not so bad yourself"

"Dad says I've got Mum's eye for Transfiguration" Scorpius shrugged. It was the first time he had mentioned his father since their unpleasant discovery a few days previously.

"Ooh, we get to choose our subjects for third year, too!" Rose exclaimed excitedly. "I was thinking of taking Arithmancy, because mum took it and she said it was tough, but really interesting. Or there's always Ancient Runes, which could come in handy one day, and Care of Magical Creatures for people like Uncle Charlie..."

"I might take Care of Magical Creatures" Scorpius interjected. "It could be fun". Albus shrugged, knowing of Scorpius' love of animals.

But Rose hadn't finished.

"Or there's Divination" she said, with a sort of uncomfortable expression on her face, "or Muggle Studies, and I think that's it for the new subjects. I think I might take Muggle Studies myself" She picked up a Gobstone and flicked it; her aim was terrible and it landed somewhere near the door.

"But your grandparents are Muggles" Albus said. "You already know everything about them!"

"There's no harm in taking the subject, Al, even if I do know everything about Muggles already" Rose retorted.

"Didn't the Muggle Studies professor actually fight in the war?" Scorpius asked. "I heard Dad mention it to some Ministry bloke a while ago, said she helped protect the Muggles from the Death Eaters" he explained.

"That was brave" Albus said, remembering what his various aunts and uncles had said about the way Muggles, and the people who tried to help them, were treated during the war. "Who is she, anyway?"

"Dunno, Dad never said her name" Scorpius replied.

Once the three of them were in bed – Rose and Hugo were staying at the Potters' overnight – and the bedside lamp had been put out, all three of them were still thinking about the coming year. Had it really been a year to today that Albus had been visiting Diagon Alley to buy his own spellbooks, wand and cauldron? Of course, he had been to the Alley before, when James started Hogwarts, but it had been his first time to go there for his own things. The year certainly had passed fairly quickly.

He tried not to think about the Remembrance Service that had been held for the entire school in May, as it hadn't been a very comfortable experience. The students had gathered in the grounds in front of the Phoenix Memorial, an enormous marble statue of a phoenix rising from the flames, which sat near the edge of the Black Lake. It had been erected to commemorate the victory of the Light Side over the Dark, and also to remember those who had died over the years the war had spanned, fighting to make the wizarding world a safer place to live. Several of the Professors gave short speeches on the war and the contributions of certain people, including Professor Longbottom, and when he had finished speaking Albus saw Professors McGonagall and Sprout wipe their eyes on the sleeves of their robes. All in all, it was not something he particularly found neither comforting nor uplifting, especially when Professor McGonagall read out the names of those who had died in battle and heard the name of his late Uncle Fred, and Teddy's parents.

"Albus? Scorpius?" Rose whispered. "Are you asleep?"

"No" they whispered back.

"What are you thinking about?" Rose asked. It was quiet for a moment, the only sound being the rush of the warm breeze outside the open window.

"Not much. The war....and my dad" Scorpius said.

"The war?" Rose was puzzled.

"Yeah, you know...what it must have been like" Scorpius replied.

"Me too" Albus added. "I mean, I really want to know what happened....because dad won't tell me much and it upsets mum to talk about it...." He trailed off, and swallowed hard.

"...But you're afraid you'll hear something you don't like?" Scorpius suggested. "Join the club, Albus. It's the same for me. I know enough that my family – my dad's family – weren't on the right side"

"Really?" Rose asked.

"Yeah" Scorpius said. It fell quiet again. Outside, an owl hooted in the distance; inside the room, Albus' owl Jemima, awoke and ruffled her feathers before placing her head back under her wing.

***

Scorpius left the following morning, with sure promises of meeting up with them in Diagon Alley in a couple of weeks' time to buy their school things. After he and Rose had both left, Albus went back upstairs to sort out his school trunk, which was currently standing open in a corner with half the contents spilling out onto the carpet. He kneeled on the floor and began rummaging through the mess, throwing old quills, empty ink bottles and screwed up bits of parchment into the bin under his desk. He yanked out his school robes and smoothed them out; they looked a bit short, he would have to buy new ones - not that he had grown much.

It took him at least an hour to empty the whole lot, and by the time he was finished all he had left of his previous school things were his spellbooks, wand, cauldron and Potion-making kit, which was running low, and a half empty box of owl treats for Jemima. Also missing was his telescope; Albus had half a mind that James had taken it as a replacement for his own for his hobby of stargazing, although why James couldn't just use his own telescope was beyond him.

He took the now-full bin downstairs to empty it, and found his mother sitting at the kitchen table, which was beyond recognition due to the mass of parchment, Quidditch posters and various wizarding sports publications covering it. Ginny was bending over a very long piece of parchment, her quill scratching frantically across the paper.

"What are you doing, Mum?" Albus asked as he tipped the contents of the bin into the large one next to the fridge.

"It's a report on young and promising Quidditch stars" Ginny said, not looking up from the parchment. It was then that Albus recognised a photograph of Miranda Wood, waving to the camera and brandishing a Beater's bat.

"Where's dad?" Albus said, now rummaging around looking for something to eat.

"He went to the Malfoy's place, but he should have been back by now" She said, crossing out a sentence and beginning again.

"What's he doing at Scorpius' house?" Albus asked, puzzled. What would his father want at the Malfoys? He seemed to spending a lot of time with them lately.

"You know, Al, I'm not sure myself" said Ginny, finally looking up and smiling. Albus extracted himself from the fridge with a large bar of chocolate in his hands. He ignored the 'Property of James S. Potter' post-it note stuck onto the wrapper; he'd deal with that later.

On returning to his bedroom, he poked a couple of owl treats through Jemima's cage and picked up _Hogwarts: A History_, which was lying on his desk. Since Rose was so attached to it, he might as well see what was so appealing about the book. But, as soon as he tried to read the first page, he might as well have been listening to one of Professor Binn's long, wheezy lectures on troll revolutions or whatever happened four hundred years ago. After forcing himself to read through the first few paragraphs, he closed the book and reached for something a bit lighter and more to his taste. It was a few hours later, therefore, that Lily found him sitting on his bed engrossed in _The Art of Defensive Magic_ and nibbling on the chocolate he had 'stolen' from James.

"Mum asked me to see what you were doing" Lily announced, sitting in the middle of the carpet and gazing at Albus with her big, brown eyes.

"I'm reading" he replied, holding up the book. Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Since when do _you_ read?" she asked.

"Since now" Albus said. He often wished Lily would stop being nosy and keep herself to herself. It was rather annoying at times.

"Fine!" Lily said, sticking her nose in the air and getting up. "I'll go and see if James will play Exploding Snap with me" She pranced across the room and out the door, shutting it loudly behind her. _Honestly, what is wrong with my family?_ Albus thought. _They're all mad!_ And turning the page to a chapter titled _How Not to Attack Your Opponent_, he settled down to read once more.

***

The letters from Hogwarts arrived the very next morning, as Rose had predicted. Albus, who had stayed up late to read his Defence book and was still fast asleep, only awoke when his father knocked on the door and came in, dropping a familiar envelope on Albus' head. He reached for it and rubbing his eyes, he sat up in bed.

"Aha! I think Rose is finally rubbing off on you" Harry declared, picking up _The Art of Defensive Magic_ from Albus' bedside table.

"Hey! I'll read a book as long it has nothing to do with twelfth century centaur conferences or whatever Professor Binns drones on about in History of Magic" Albus protested, ripping open the top of the Hogwarts envelope and tipping out its' contents. As usual, there were two pieces of paper; one held a letter from Professor McGonagall, and the other held his new booklist.

"Well, I won't say much, but I think all your lessons will be a _bit_ more interesting for you this year. Or, at least, a little bit more eventful" Harry said, winking at Albus.

"What do you mean?" he asked, smoothing out the second piece of paper.

"Oh, you'll see soon enough" his father replied simply. Albus, though intrigued by the subject, said no more about it and dropped his gaze to his booklist.

_Second Year students will require:_

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2

Defence Against the Dark Arts for the Novice Witch or Wizard

An Introduction of Dark Creatures

The Standard Book of Transfiguration, Grade 2

Intermediate Theory of Charms

The Novice Potioneer

Common Draughts and Concoctions

Hogwarts: A Modern History

_Second year students are reminded that they are now allowed to bring their own brooms from home if they desire. _

"Two new Defence Against the Dark Arts books, new Charms and Transfiguration books, a couple of Potions books, _The Standard Book of Spells_ and _Hogwarts: A Modern History_. They don't ask for much, do they?" Albus said, looking down the list of set books for the new year. "At least Rose will be pleased that yet another version of her favourite book in the whole world is on the list" He laughed, and he wasn't joking either. Rose probably _would_ be pleased that _Hogwarts: A Modern History_ had made it onto the list.

"Well, I suppose now you've got the list we'll have to go to Diagon Alley and get the stuff" Harry said. "And I promise I won't let James trick you into going down Knockturn Alley this time" he added grimly.

Albus shuddered at the memory.

"C'mon, get dressed and I'll check with Ron and Hermione when they're taking Rose to get her things" He pulled back Albus' duvet and the Hogwarts letter fell to the floor. When he had left, Albus swung out of bed, threw _The Art of Defensive Magic_ into open trunk, and quickly pulled on a t-shirt and jeans, tried and failed to do something with his unruly hair, and then dashed downstairs, almost colliding with Teddy, who was on his way up from the kitchen, half-dressed and in between changing his hair from turquoise to purple.

Halfway to the kitchen, Albus remembered that he'd promised to let Scorpius know when they were going to Diagon Alley, and dashed back upstairs to his room to write him a quick note.

_Scorpius –_

_We're going to Diagon Alley to get school stuff today. See you there?_

_Albus_

He rolled up the parchment, took a leather string and tied the letter to Jemima's outstretched leg. Then he stroked the soft feathers on the top of her head, and she nipped his finger affectionately before taking off out of the window. Albus then returned downstairs to find his parents, James and Lily all sitting at the kitchen table in various states of dress. Lily was still wearing her pink nightdress and matching dressing gown; James had changed into the hand-knitted jumper Grandma Molly had given him for Christmas and was wearing a dark scowl on his face. Albus, knowing this expression well, took it to be that James had just been reprimanded for something or other.

"Ron and Hermione are okay to go to Diagon Alley, so I said that we would meet them at Gringott's at ten o'clock, and then we'll see who needs what and go in groups, there's no point in everyone going to every shop" Ginny said, switching off the newly-boiled kettle and pouring coffee for herself.

"I wrote to Scorpius to see if he's going today too, so maybe I'll see him there" Albus said.

"Oh, yippee!" James exclaimed sarcastically, earning him a scathing look from Ginny. "I mean, um, that's cool, er, yeah" He garbled quickly. Albus rolled his eyes and began thickly buttering toast.

It was an hour later that the five Potters were lined up in front of the fireplace, ready to Floo into Diagon Alley. Albus hated using the Floo Network. They had arranged with Evangeline Ollivander – who now owned her father's wand shop - to Floo directly into the shop via the fireplace in the back room. It was a shorter route than Flooing into The Leaky Cauldron and anyway, it wasn't fair to keep intruding on Mrs. Longbottom's daily business in the pub. So, very reluctantly, Albus took a handful of the glittering green powder and stepped into the fireplace where emerald green flames were flickering. Taking a deep breath, he screwed up his eyes, threw and powder into the flames and said, as clearly as he could, "Ollivander's Wand Shop!"

There was the familiar, sickening feeling of being forced through a whirlpool; grates all around him were burning brightly and he was spinning very fast, like a spinning top, and he wasn't particularly enjoying it. And then, all at once, he shot out of a very sooty fireplace onto the cold stone floor of the back room of Ollivander's wandmakers. He could only be quite sure of where he was because of the shelves upon shelves of old, broken and generally discarded wands cluttering the shelves all around the walls. Suddenly remembering that the rest of his family would be arriving in mere seconds, he jumped up and attempted to brush the soot from his jeans, coughing thickly. Moments later, James appeared out of the fire, his hair even messier – if that were possible – and soot streaked on his rather impish face like war paint.

"You look ridiculous" Albus commented through his relentless coughing. How much soot had he inhaled?

"And you don't?" James retorted, rubbing the soot from his face with his sleeve and aiming a kick at his younger brother.

Unfortunately, Ginny chose this moment to appear out of the fireplace and saw this; whipping out her wand, she siphoned the soot from James' face and then proceeded to lecture him about 'not using violence to alleviate his anger'. Last to arrive were Harry and Lily, both remarkably soot-free, considering that the chimney in the back room of Ollivander's had not been cleaned for some years.

"Come on, we need to meet Ron and Hermione" Ginny said, stowing her wand back underneath her coat and beckoning for them to follow. They went through the main shop and out the front door, and found themselves at once on what was probably the busiest wizarding High Street in Britain. The cobbled street was crowded with wizard families, bustling in and out of shops and calling to friends; smaller children pointed excitedly at the lavish window displays whilst the elder children consulted their school lists, checking that they had everything. In fact, the street was so full of people that the window display for a shop selling quills, ink and parchment was completely obscured. How they were ever going to spot Rose and Hugo amidst this commotion, Albus had no idea.

The party of five jostled, with difficulty, their way through the heavy throng of people up the twisting, cobbled street towards Gringott's bank. And, as usual, several groups of people stopped to gawk at them as they passed; it made Albus uncomfortable, and Harry did not look as though he was enjoying it much either. In fact, he tried his best not to look at anyone in particular and only relaxed when they reached the tall, snowy white building of the bank. As predicted, Rose, Hugo, Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron were waiting for them; Rose was clutching an already bulging bag Albus suspected was full of books and Hugo was holding a violently lime green box with 'WWW' stamped across the front in orange. So they had already been to Uncle George's shop.

"Hi, Albus!" Rose exclaimed when he saw him, dropping her books and hugging him a little more enthusiastically than she normally would have done. "We've already been to Flourish and Blott's, I've got some new books as well as the ones on our list" she said. _Aha! So that's why she's so excited,_ thought Albus. _Nothing makes Rose happier than getting a brand new book to read_.

"I think we'll go to Madam Malkin's first, then" said Aunt Hermione. "It's the closest place to here, and then we'll go to the Magical Menagerie, it's just down the way from Madam Malkin's" As she talked, she stuffed a bag of money into her handbag and pulled from its depths a very long piece of parchment and a handsome eagle feather quill. She scrutinized it carefully, and scratched off a couple of things on what Albus was very sure was a list of everything she needed to buy. Out of the corner of his eye, Albus spotted his Uncle Ron rolling his eyes at his father.

Together they set off for Madam Malkin's, attracting a lot of attention and staring eyes, especially from the children. Albus sincerely hoped that he did not become anywhere near as famous as his father undoubtedly was; he would rather have liked the ground to swallow him whole if that ended up being the case. How could his father stand it? When they reached the robe shop, Ginny and Aunt Hermione took Albus, James and Rose inside whilst the others waited outside. Lily had her nose pressed against the glass, admiring a set of robes in shades of pink and violet. Madam Malkin, a small, aged witch with a cloud of curly white hair and pink cheeks, bustled over to them and, seeing who they were, beamed from ear to ear.

"Ah, it seems the Potters and the Weasleys are back again!" she greeted them. "What can I do for you?"

And Albus and James both got new robes (as they had both grown a fair bit), and Rose took forever – in Albus' mind – to choose between a set of midnight blue dress robes and a set of scarlet and gold ones. In the end, she chose the blue ones because she said they would make her hair look brighter.

Then they went to the Magical Menagerie, where Albus and James each bought a box of Owl Treats for their respective owls, and then headed back down the crowded street to Flourish and Blotts. No sooner had they entered the shop, however, that the door banged open and the bell atop the door jingled feverishly.

"For the last time, Draco, _you are not buying him a cat!_" Mrs. Malfoy huffed from close behind Albus and Rose. "I've said, I've no idea how many times, that he is not allowed a cat and you clearly don't pay attention to anything I say!"

"I don't see anything wrong with him having a cat, Astoria" her husband replied, with the air of someone who has tried to put forward the same argument a hundred times before.

"Cats are flea ridden and they scratch the furniture" Mrs. Malfoy insisted.

"Cats are much more domesticated than dogs" Draco Malfoy protested.

"They make that horrible meowing noise; it's like nails on a blackboard" Scorpius' mother retorted.

"You don't want him to have a cat because you're scared of them" Mr. Malfoy said knowingly. "Admit it, that's the reason why!"

"It is certainly _not_ the reason why, Draco, I just don't think cats make good pets" Mrs. Malfoy replied. "Now, where's that booklist, I had it just a minute ago...and where did Scorpius go?" she said, rummaging in her overlarge dragon hide handbag. Albus and Rose looked at each other and exchanged amused looks.

Then Scorpius appeared at Albus' elbow. He had dodged around his parents – who had resumed their argument once more – and was carrying two very large and heavy looking bags. He was as short as ever, but smiling broadly.

"Hi, Scorpius" Rose said. "What are _they_?" She pointed to the bulging bags he was carrying.

"Oh, they're just books and Potions stuff...and more books" he replied sheepishly. "For background reading" he added quickly.

"Now where have I heard that before?" Albus said, looking pointedly in Rose's direction, who turned as red as her hair.

The shop was packed full of people, as always, and it was very difficult to get to the shelves to find the right books. So, Albus sent Rose to look for the Potions books whilst he and Scorpius searched for the rest. Albus was gobsmacked when he discovered that none of the books Scorpius was carrying were actually his school books; they were all for his own interest and there must have been about five or six of them. In the end, between them they managed to hunt down what they needed and took them to the counter to pay. Albus and Rose had each been given a small sack of gold to get their school things; Scorpius, however, simply pulled the gold he needed from his pockets and piled it on the counter. Albus knew that the Malfoys were stupendously rich, but tried very hard not to flaunt it.

As they made their way back to the entrance of the shop, Albus took the chance to ask Scorpius about their 'discovery' a few days previously.

"Did you talk to your dad?" Albus asked, lowering his voice; Scorpius' parents weren't far away.

"Yeah, actually" Scorpius said. "I kind of, well, blurted out that I knew about him being, you know...one of _them_. And he got a bit upset about it – I think he expected me to call him all sorts of horrible names and announce I was disowning him, actually – but I told him it didn't matter" he whispered quickly, dodging out of the way as an elderly witch bustled past with her two small grandchildren. "I said it's obvious that he's, well, trying really hard to make up for whatever happened in the past and that whatever happened _stays_ in the past. And then mum kind of cried" he explained, going pink.

"That's really good!" Albus replied enthusiastically. "And he really wasn't mad that you knew?"

Scorpius shook his head.

The elderly witch who had passed them moments before had edged closer, and Albus had sinking feeling that she was listening to their conversation. This had him worried. But then again...how could she know what they were talking about? She was looking darkly at Scorpius' parents, standing not five feet away, talking to a blonde witch Albus did not recognise, her beady eyes darting from Mrs. Malfoy to her husband, and then – Albus couldn't believe it – she came to rest on Scorpius. Her wrinkled brow furrowed deeply, a look of utter distaste on her withered face. What did this witch know about the Malfoys? And why was she staring at them with such loathing in her eyes? And then – Albus could scarcely believe his ears – she spoke, very audibly, with no doubt as to with whom she was talking.

"The nerve of some people, waltzing in here after what they've done...stinking murderers and blighters, the whole lot of them, how dare they expect to be treated _fairly_ by the rest of us who've lost family and friends to the Death Eaters..." she paused dramatically, before carrying on in a cold, icy voice. "Mark my words, the sooner the whole lot get thrown back in Azkaban the better I'll sleep each night. Can't possibly allow my grandchildren to go to Hogwarts if _they're_ there...the very nerve of it, they should be fed to the Dementors, oh yes, the Dementor's Kiss should put them in their place...teach them a bloody good lesson...murderers, the lot of them" The witch spat, before stalking out of the shop, neither knowing nor caring that Mr and Mrs. Malfoy had heard every word she'd said.

Scorpius froze at Albus' side; Albus himself was speechless with shock. He quickly glanced towards Scorpius' parents, and immediately wished he hadn't; both were frozen, horrified. Scorpius' father had gone extremely pale indeed and his mother looked close to tears. Then, not looking at anyone, Mr. Malfoy shook off his wife's arm rather forcefully and all but ran out the door of Flourish and Blott's. Mrs. Malfoy came over to where they were standing, and said very quickly and quietly,

"Scorpius – out – your father – come on" She took his by his sleeve and steered him out of the shop, sniffing loudly, and the door clanged behind her in her wake.

Just then, Rose reappeared – she had been examining a row of books on Arithmancy – and immediately looked puzzled.

"What happened? Where did Scorpius go?" she asked. Albus could not find his voice to reply.

**_A/N: Oh. My. God. What's happened now? The Malfoys really do get shoved through a mangle a lot, don't they? Anyway, you know the drill - love it, hate it, on the fence about it, I don't really care - JUST REVIEW IT OR SANTA WON'T COME AND VISIT ON FRIDAY! You have been warned._**

**_HPfangirl4life xx_**


	6. Lorcan and Lysander Scamander

**_A/N: Well, this chappie is a bit later than I promised, but here it is ready for your reading pleasure! Prepare for some shocks and gasps of 'Oh no she didn't!' 'Oh yes she did!' as a few staffing changes take place at Hogwarts......Enjoy!_**

_***_

_CHAPTER SIX_

_Lorcan and Lysander Scamander_

As the summer holidays drew to a close, Albus spent most of his time finishing off his essays for various teachers, gathering together spare quills and bottles of ink from strange places all over the house (he found a quill in the bathroom cupboard) and repacking his trunk to include all his new school things. He poked a handful of Owl Treats through the bars of Jemima's cage to keep her happy and tried very hard not to think about the witch in Flourish and Blotts. He had not heard from Scorpius since that day; though Molly wrote, late in the week, to apologise for not being in contact sooner, having been on an extended holiday in Greece. Albus didn't mind this, as he still had his enormous family to keep him company. But he was worried about Scorpius.

Reluctantly, he told Rose about the witch in Flourish and Blotts and she gawked, wide-eyed, when he'd finished. She was aghast, scarcely believing that anyone could be so rude and insulting, and in such a public manner, too. In fact, she was all set on writing to Scorpius to see if he was okay – if his parents were okay – but Albus stopped her. He wasn't sure whether he was supposed to tell Rose what happened or not.

However, it was hard to worry too much with September the first drawing nearer and nearer, and excitement replaced the anxiety. With a feeling of longing, Albus locked away his Firebolt 3100 and made sure the catch on Jemima's cage was working properly. He narrowly avoided getting hit in the head with a heavy book titled _A Guide to the Beasts and Beings of Wizard Britain_, thrown across the room by a very bad-tempered James, and had to work very hard to drown out Lily's excited squeals as she realised that there was only a year left until she went to Hogwarts too.

Ginny made sure that they were all packed and ready as they wouldn't have time in the morning for any last-minute preparations. With the help of a very secretive James, Albus and Lily, she organised a surprise birthday party for Harry, who went very red when presented with a houseful of Weasleys and resident Potters when he got home from work.

And then it was August the thirty-first and the three Potter children were forced into bed before ten o'clock, with dire warnings from Ginny; "And you'd better get up in the morning or we'll be going without you!"

But Albus couldn't sleep, he was simply too excited to be going back to Hogwarts for his second year. In fact, he lay awake for some time, tracing patterns in the dark ceiling and feeling very lucky that he was going to Hogwarts, and not the resident comprehensive school; a place where you learnt what Fanged Geraniums were and how to brew a Forgetfulness Potion was much more interesting than a place where you learnt what the correct formula for working out the circumference of a circle was and struggled through works by Jane Austen. Situated deep in the Scottish Highlands and surrounded by rolling green hills and gargantuan mountains, Hogwarts was Albus' second favourite place in the whole world; second only to his own home in remote and Muggle London.

After lying awake for a good part of the night, it seemed like only seconds ago he had fallen asleep when he was being shaken awake by his mother.

"Come on, love, breakfast is on the table, we don't want to be late for the train" Ginny said softly as she drew back his curtains and the pale, weak light of the morning sun lit up Albus' small bedroom. Obediently, he crawled out of bed and put on his slippers, yawning loudly. If there was one thing he had to dislike about returning to Hogwarts, it was the early start on September the first, the rush to get to King's Cross station in enough time to catch the scarlet Hogwarts Express at eleven o'clock.

Out on the landing, he heard his mother trying and failing to get James to leave his bed.

"James Sirius Potter, if you don't get out of this bed right now I'll hex you out of it by your toenails!" Ginny exclaimed threateningly. "_James, get up NOW!_"

Deciding he'd better not involve himself in the situation, Albus went downstairs for breakfast. Lily was already there with their father, eating toast very thickly spread with blackcurrant jam, her favourite stuffed toy phoenix sitting on the table, propped up against her glass of orange juice. Harry was reading that morning's _Daily Prophet_, the front page of which bore the headline; MAINTENANCE STRIKE REACHES SECOND MONTH. Under the headline was a large, black and white, moving photograph of a group of angry-looking Ministry witches and wizards.

"What are they striking for, anyway?" Albus asked, pointing to the photograph.

"You know what, Al? I don't actually know myself. They had some kind of argument with Kingsley a few months back and now they're on strike, but I don't think anyone really knows why" Harry explained with a shrug.

"Weird" Albus replied, helping himself to cereal.

"Very weird" his father agreed.

Ginny reappeared in the kitchen, dragging a very tired-looking James behind her, who yawned extremely loudly before flopping down on a chair half-heartedly.

"Well, it's your fault, James, you shouldn't have been up so late on the computer last night" Ginny chided. James scowled darkly at her. "And there's no point looking like that, either" she snapped, poking the stove alight with her wand and putting a frying pan on top of the flames. Then her expression softened. "Are you both packed and ready?"

"Yeah" Albus said. James, too tired for speech, merely nodded.

An hour later, Ginny was lifting Albus and James' trunks, owl cages and broomsticks into the back of the car. Lily was reading _The Quibbler_ in the back seat. And Albus and James, as usual, were arguing again.

"I – will – not – be – in – Slytherin" Albus hissed furiously. His brother smirked.

"That's all that _you_ know" he said. "Sometimes, the Sorting Hat gets things wrong, and then students have to move house. I'll bet Professor McGonagall is waiting for you so she can put the Hat back on your head, and it will say "Slytherin!" and then you'll have to go and slum it in the dungeons with the Death Eaters' kids" James taunted.

"James, shut it" Harry scolded from the front window.

"Well, it could be true! After all, he _was_ named after a Slytherin!" James said in an annoying sing-song voice.

"And you were named after Hogwarts' most annoying pranksters in history, and I'm beginning to regret my decision in naming you so, because it seems to have gone to your head!" Ginny interjected fiercely.

They got into the car and James must have realised that he was in trouble because he didn't say another word. But his taunts had got Albus thinking. The most he knew about his namesake was that he was named after two Hogwarts Headmasters, one of which, Severus Snape, was the bravest man his father ever knew. He'd never asked much about it before. Of course, he knew about Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of all time, and the most legendary next to Gellert Grindlewald or Lord Voldemort himself. But he never really _knew_ why he was named after either of them. He would have liked to know a bit more about them, but his parents rarely mentioned them.

A sudden idea then came to him. The portraits of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape hung in Professor McGonagall's office at Hogwarts. He'd seen them. What if he could talk to _them_? He was sure Professor McGonagall wouldn't mind that much, not once she knew how almost desperate he was for answers...it was a thought, anyhow.

They reached King's Cross station at half past ten, but ended up driving around for the best part of ten minutes trying to find a place to park. The station was always packed with commuters, but today it was even fuller as Hogwarts students prepared to go back for the coming year. Eventually, the car juddered to a stop in a tiny space between an overflowing litter bin and a lamppost.

_It definitely wasn't this full the last time we were here_ thought Albus as he got out of the car and fetched his trunk and owl cage. He stood on tiptoes, craning his neck for a sight of any of his many cousins. It was very difficult see over the thick crowds of people jostling across the stations' main platform. Getting through it to Platform Nine and Three Quarters was going to be a challenge. They carefully manoeuvred their way across the busy station; James and Albus were given a wide berth because of the large trunks and owl cages they were pushing. Jemima did not like the crowds or the noise and was restless in her cage; she kept turning her large eyes on Albus as if to accuse him of deliberately making her uncomfortable.

At last, they found a clearing and, one by one, they disappeared through the invisible barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten. Almost immediately their vision was blocked by clouds of white steam issuing from the Hogwarts Express. Peering through the haze, Albus spotted Rose, Hugo and Dominique not too far away.

"Over there, Mum!" Albus exclaimed, pointing in their direction. Sure enough, Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur appeared moments later, along with Victoire and Louis. At least Victoire had removed the seemingly permanent frown from her face. _Could it have anything to do with Teddy?_ thought Albus as he made to push his trunk over to them.

"Where are the others, Bill?" Ginny asked. "They're not late, are they?"

"I don't think so, Gin. Probably getting held up by Percy raving on about carbon emissions and saving the planet" Uncle Bill said.

_Ah, yes_ Albus thought. _Uncle Percy's latest subject of discussion, global warming. I knew it was a bad idea for him to watch that climate change programme_.

"I feel sorry for whoever's on the receiving end of that lecture" Harry laughed. "You kids better get on the train or you won't find a seat" He motioned to James, Albus, Rose, Hugo and Dominique, and they left. Victoire, who had now left Hogwarts, stayed behind and helped Dominique load her trunk onto one of the carriages.

"Oh yes, they're very small creatures, like fairies, only nowhere near as nice, and if you disturb their habitat, they'll fly out and bite you on the nose..." a dream-like, mild voice drifted over the din of the crowd towards them. Albus and Rose turned around and saw Lily heading towards them, deep in conversation with a boy Albus had never seen before, but knew at once who he must be.

"Do they really exist, then?" Lily was asking him.

"Oh, yes, of course they do, but some people tend to think not because they hardly ever show themselves, they're very private creatures, mum says, they don't like to mix" he was explaining.

Now that he was closer, Albus could see that the boy was quite short, shorter than Scorpius, with windswept dark blond hair and large, pale eyes which contrasted with his flushed cheeks. Just then, the boy looked up.

"Oh, hello, Albus, I didn't see you there" he said. "I know your name because mum told me so. But you don't know who I am. I'm Lorcan, Lorcan Scamander. My mum's Luna" Lorcan Scamander explained. Now Albus recognised him. He did look a lot like Luna herself; the same dark blonde hair, the same wide, protuberant eyes, the same interested expression.

"Are you starting Hogwarts this year, then?" Albus asked once he had found his voice.

"Yes, my brother and I are hoping to be in Ravenclaw, like our mum" Lorcan replied, smiling now. "Well, I'd better go and find him. It was nice talking to you, Lily, and you, Albus" And then he turned on his heel and left.

Lily came flying up to Albus and hugged him tightly.

"Just one more year, and then I'll get to go too!" she breathed excitedly.

"Lily, I can't breathe" Albus choked. She may be small, but Lily had a very strong hold.

"I want to be in Ravenclaw" she carried on. "D'you think the Sorting Hat will put me in Ravenclaw?"

"Lily, I have to _go_, the train will be leaving" Albus said, pulling Lily's arms from around his waist. "I'll write to you when I get there, okay?"

"Okay!" Lily nodded happily before flouncing off to join their parents. _Little sisters are weird_, thought Albus.

***

"Are you going to tell me what happened at Flourish and Blotts or not?" Rose demanded as they climbed onto the train.

"Not here!" Albus hissed. "Later, I promise. Can you Scorpius or Molly anywhere?" He peered in through each of the open compartment doors as they passed. As usual, the people inside them were staring at him and Rose. It never ceased to make him uncomfortable.

"Rose, Albus, in here!" a voice called out to them. Scorpius was leaning out of one of the compartments with Molly at his side. They disappeared inside the compartment and Scorpius slid the door shut behind them. It was quieter, much more peaceful inside, the loudest of the chatter from outside shut out.

"So did you have a nice summer? Sorry I couldn't write often, I just didn't have the time" Molly said, settling herself down on the seat and tucking her legs underneath her.

"That's okay. I had a lot of fun, actually. Scorpius came over for a week –" Albus was cut off mid-sentence.

"-and all they did was play Quidditch in the back garden at Grandma's house" Rose finished. Molly laughed.

"There's nothing wrong with that!" Albus protested. Quidditch was Albus' first and best passion. He'd inherited that from his father. Molly shrugged.

It fell silent for a while, and Albus reverted back to his old pastime of watching the scenery outside the carriage window. It was soothing to watch the city office blocks and skyscrapers transform into rolling green hills as the train snaked upwards towards Hogwarts. When the little old witch with the lunch trolley appeared, he and Scorpius bought as many Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Fizzing Whizbees and bottles of pumpkin juice as they could carry between them and dumped them on the seat to share. The four friends ate in silence; Rose had pulled out a heavy book and was reading avidly, Molly had a pair of red plastic-framed glasses on the end of her nose and was busy doing something that looked like knitting.

Then the compartment door slid open, revealing two almost identical boys. Albus recognised one of them as being Lorcan Scamander. The other boy must be his brother.

"Oh, hello again! The Wrackspurts told me you were in this compartment" Lorcan said in that unsual, dream-like voice of his.

"Hello" said the other boy timidly. He was clearly the shyer of the two. "I'm Lysander, Lorcan's brother"

"Scamander? Like Rolf Scamander?" Scorpius interjected excitedly. Lysander nodded, and smiled, showing two missing front teeth.

"We always go on holidays to look for animals, it's a lot of fun, Dad knows all the best places for finding unsual animals. We caught Freshwater Plimpies once" Lorcan said. "Anyway, we were just visiting to say hello. Enjoy yourselves" They both waved; and then they were gone, shutting the compartment door behind them.

Albus, Rose, Scorpius and Molly looked at each other. Albus got the nasty feeling Molly was trying not to laugh; Scorpius, on the other hand, looked genuinely impressed.

"It must be brilliant, having Rolf Scamander as your dad" he said. "I've got all his books at home, he's a fantastic naturalist, he knows all sorts about all these weird animals I didn't even know existed...."

"That's because they _don't_ exist" Molly muttered under her breath.

Rose threw a dirty look in her direction.

"Auntie Luna and her husband are very interesting, _actually_" Rose cut in. "I've only ever been to their house once, but they've got all these strange fish and all kinds of species of frogs in big tanks everywhere, and they've got a huge pond in the garden full of weird things. You'd like it, Scorpius. Remember, Al? Auntie Luna had a cat, too, a black and white one, and rabbits" Rose had put her book down now.

"Oh, yeah!" Albus replied. The day they had spent at Auntie Luna's cottage was one of the best days Albus ever remembered having. Lorcan and Lysander hadn't been there then; they had been off with their father in India. "Her house is _really_ weird, but it was loads of fun" he added. Molly raised her eyebrows, but said no more on the matter. The compartment fell silent again.

At long last, the train was pulling in at Hogsmeade station. Albus went to fetch his trunk, broomstick and Jemima's cage; Scorpius came with him.

Whilst there was a distraction in the form of a thousand or more students milling about on the platform, talking with friends, swapping tales of summer holidays, Albus took the chance to gather the courage to ask Scorpius about the woman in Flourish and Blotts.

"What happened after you left?" Albus asked.

Scorpius avoided his gaze when he answered.

"We went straight home, dad disappeared into his office, didn't come down for dinner that night. Mum was pretty edgy, kept trying to coax him downstairs, but he wouldn't have it. She told me not to ask any questions and just try to forget what that woman had said" Scorpius explained.

"Oh" was all Albus could reply.

They walked to the carriages together in silence; behind them, Rose was talking to a pink-cheeked girl with curly blonde hair Albus knew by sight. Scorpius found an empty carriage and motioned for Rose to climb in; Molly was nowhere to be seen.

"Should we wait for Molly?" Albus asked nervously. Rose glared at him.

"No, she'll find her own carriage" she said curtly. Clearly she was still annoyed about the remark Molly had made towards the Scamanders. If he was being brutally honest, Albus didn't blame her either.

The carriage door swung shut, there was a sound like the crack of a whip, and the wheels beneath the carriage where pulled into motion by the invisible Thestrals. The sky outside was black as pitch and dotted with millions of tiny stars, each one glittering brightly. There was no moon visible, but the silvery glow it emitted was visible through the thicket of trees at the entrance to the Forbidden Forest. Coming closer all the time was the magnificent castle of Hogwarts, orange light blazing in every window, the tall towers and turrets scraping the inky night sky. Albus suddenly realised just how much he'd missed the castle over the summer. His stomach gave a large rumble; he hadn't eaten for several hours and was now craving the delicious feast that would have been prepared for them by the Hogwarts house-elves.

They reached the castle and the carriages came to a stop in front of the main doors. Albus, Rose and Scorpius clambered out and attempted to fight their way through the jostling crowds of students making their way up the stone steps. Albus couldn't wait to get into the warmth; it was rather cold outside. Inside, he threw open his cloak and unbuttoned the fastenings. The Entrance Hall was filled with students and the noise was deafening. At that moment, the enormous double doors swung open and Professor McGonagall appeared.

"Please be seated at your house tables and make yourselves at home whilst I await the arrival of the first years" she commanded crisply.

At once, she stepped aside to make way for the students who, in groups of twos and threes, began filing into the grand Great Hall. It was just as Albus remembered it; the enchanted ceiling mimicked the ink night outside, hundreds of candles were burning above the four long House tables, and the golden plates and cups stood ready and waiting to be filled with delicious food. Scorpius went to sit at the Slytherin table, whilst Rose and Albus took their seats at the Gryffindor table next to Roxy. Molly had reappeared and sat down on Albus' right.

Tiny Professor Flitwick descended from his chair at the High Table carrying an old, weathered, three-legged stool and a frayed and patched hat. The Sorting Hat. Then the double doors opened and Professor McGonagall led the frightened-looking first years down the aisle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff house tables. Many of them were eyeing the enchanted ceiling, the candles and the staff table with anxious eyes. Albus spotted Lorcan and Lysander at the back of the group, looking around in wonder with huge grins on their faces. Once the students were gathered at the front of the small podium that fronted the High Table, Professor McGonagall went to stand behind the stand topped with a giant golden owl. There was instant silence in the Great Hall.

"Good evening, all of you, and welcome back to Hogwarts. Before I say my piece, would you please join me in the Sorting of our brand new students this year" Professor McGonagall called across the Hall. Then she picked up a large scroll of parchment and opened it out. "Now – there's no need to look so worried – when I call your name, come and sit on this stool" she pointed to it, "and I will place the Sorting Hat" she held it up, "on your head. It will then choose where you ought to be, and you will go and sit with your new House. Is that clear? Excellent". There was a pause as Professor McGonagall scrutinised the long list of names through her square spectacles.

"Ashton, William!" she called. A tall, gangly boy with pale brown hair stepped up to the stool. A moment's pause, and then –

"RAVENCLAW!" The Sorting Hat cried, and there was an explosion of applause from the Ravenclaw table. William Ashton took off the Hat and went to join the Ravenclaws.

"Allbright, Alicia!" A small Asian girl placed the Sorting Hat on her head. The Hat remained on her head for a full three minutes before the frayed brim opened wide.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Albus joined the rest of his house in thunderous applause as Alicia joined their table. Then "Briggs, Jacqueline" became the first Hufflepuff and "Barton, Stephen" was the second Gryffindor.

"Carrington, Carla!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Cotswold, Morgan!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

And so it progressed, through the Ds, Es, Fs ("Farrow, Emily!" "Hufflepuff!").....Albus was getting hungry...and then they were at the Ls.

"Longbottom, Amelia!" Professor McGonagall called. Rose poked Albus in the ribs.

"That's Uncle Neville's eldest!" she hissed.

"I know!" Albus whispered back. It was very quiet in the Hall. The Sorting Hat seemed to be taking its' time with Amelia. Then, before Albus was expecting it, the Sorting Hat yelled –

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Amelia looked relieved as she took the old and worn Hat from her head and went to join the Hufflepuff table. On the way, she caught Albus' eye and smiled shyly at him.

Now Professor McGonagall was calling more students....a Gryffindor, two Slytherins, another Ravenclaw, three Hufflepuffs in a row, then another Gryffindor....there were only a handful of people left now....

"Scamander, Lorcan!" the Headmistress called out. The Sorting Hat was on his head for barely five seconds before it shouted,

"RAVENCLAW!" And Lorcan jumped off the stool looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

"Scamander, Lysander!" Professor McGonagall called, and Lorcan's shy twin brother ascended the stairs to the three-legged stool. All was quiet, and then –

"GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat bellowed brightly. Lysander went to join Albus' table, looking satisfied but a little disappointed.

Ten minutes later, the Sorting was finished and Professor Flitwick cleared away the Hat and the stool. Professor McGonagall mounted the podium once more.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, to our brand new students. On behalf of the entire staff and pupils, I wish you good luck for the coming year. Now, before the feast begins, I would like you to join me in welcoming two new members of staff this year. As dear Professor Binns has finally decided to retire from his teaching post after more than a century of service, as we wish him good luck for the future, we also welcome a new History of Magic professor into our castle. Please join me in welcoming Professor Gloria Winters to the staff!" And Professor McGonagall waved her hand behind her. Albus followed her gaze.

And froze solid in his seat.

Amidst the polite applause, he sat in what was probably pure shock. Professor Gloria Winters was the elderly witch who had openly insulted the Malfoys at Flourish and Blotts! He recognised her by the slightly frizzy, curly white hair and dark, beady eyes. And, even as Albus watched her, her gaze fell on the Slytherin table and those dark eyes narrowed in the wrinkled face.

"Good luck, Professor Winters!" Professor McGonagall said, and Professor Winters gave a nod of thanks. "But we also have another member of staff joining us this year" she carried on. Albus noticed that her expression had become somewhat sour.

"As we delight in moving Hogwarts School forward all the time, we have decided to bring in the schools' very first Student and Staff Welfare official. I am _most_ delighted" Professor McGonagall's mouth twisted as if she were sucking on a lemon, "to welcome Professor Dolores Umbridge back to Hogwarts".

**_A/N: Muahahahahahahaha! Dolores Umbridge is BACK! Bet you didn't see that one coming, did you? And why has 'Professor' Gloria Winters come to Hogwarts as History of Magic teacher? Does she have a motive? Does Umbridge have a motive? Stay tuned for the upcoming chapters to find out!_**

**_PS. You know the drill - love it, hate it, on the fence about it, WHATEVER YOU THINK, JUST DROP ME A LINE AND REVIEW IT! This story can't work without feedback from my avid readers! _**

**_Peace out,_**

**_HPfangirl4life xx_**


	7. The Hogwarts High Inquisitor

_**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I've been busy with mock exams and and a ma-hoo-sive ICT project so I haven't had time to write much of this chapter.....anyway, hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review! **_

_***_

_CHAPTER SEVEN_

_The __Hogwarts High Inquisitor_

Albus choked on the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Next to him, Rose was staring wide-eyed at the toadlike face of Professor Umbridge up at the Staff Table. A displeased murmur had broken out amongst the students; many, like Albus and Rose, sat incredulous in their seats – others were whispering furiously to their friends, swapping tales about the woman with the ridiculous velvet bow atop her grey curls.

Albus had heard about Dolores Umbridge from his parents and many of his aunts and uncles. Why on _earth_ would Professor McGonagall allow her to come back to Hogwarts? _Then again_, Albus thought, _she doesn't look very happy about it herself_. Albus remembered the faded scars on the back of his father's hand; _I must not tell lies_. Aunt Hermione had called Professor Umbridge a tyrant, driven crazy with increasing power, using her connections with the Ministry of Magic to take control of Hogwarts and do as she pleased.

"Well, then, now that it's out of the way, let the feast commence!" Professor McGonagall called over the angry chatter. She clapped her wrinkled hands, and at once the golden plates and dishes filled with magnificent food. There was roast chicken, turkey, lamb and beef; lasagne and enormous boats of gravy and huge platters of chips; and all the things Albus loved to eat but was forced to consume in moderation. He tucked in gladly, his stomach rumbling; Rose rolled her eyes at him but helped herself to steak and kidney pie with an expression of longing. Though hungry, Albus found it difficult to concentrate on what he was eating. He was watching Professors Umbridge and Winters up at the Staff Table with a very close eye. Both were old, with very wrinkled faces; Professor Umbridge had a wide, pale face and fishy eyes. Professor Winters had curly white hair and very dark, sharp eyes, like those of a bird of prey. She looked disturbingly smug as she sipped from her goblet. Cutting up his steak viciously, Albus could only imagine what kind of uproar would come from the students because of this staff change.

When they were all done eating and the last remains of the puddings had disappeared from the golden plates, Professor McGonagall took to the podium for the last time.

"Now that we are all fed and watered, I have a few start of term notices. Will all students _please_ remember that no magic is to be used in the corridors, and that a full list of contraband items can be found on Mr. Filch's office door. I must once again remind you that the Forbidden Forest is strictly off-limits to all students, and that no student has the right to be out of bed after half past nine in the evenings. That is all for this evening, and good night to you all. You may be dismissed – first years, the Prefects will show you to your dormitories".

Albus and Rose got up to leave with the rest of their house and began to walk the familiar path from the Great Hall to Gryffindor Tower.

"I can't _believe_ that Umbridge woman is back here!" Rose hissed once they were out of earshot of any teachers. "I mean, how could Professor McGonagall _allow_ it?"

"I know" Albus replied sullenly, staring at the floor. He was deep in thought. Rose raged on.

"She's awful! And did you see that other Professor, the one who's teaching History of Magic? She looked really smug and horrible..." She trailed off, a deep frown on her face.

"She's the one who openly insulted the Malfoys at Flourish and Blotts in the summer" Albus said quietly. He didn't want to be overheard.

"Really? That was _her_?" Rose exclaimed. "What's she doing here? She can't just be here to teach, that's for sure, and I bet that Umbridge isn't just the staff and student welfare official either. They really shouldn't be allowed, not if that Winters woman is prejudiced against people she knows nothing about" she finished darkly, flicking her curly red hair over her shoulder. Albus guessed that Rose must have picked up the hint about Professor Winters and the Malfoys. And she was right. If her feelings against Scorpius' family were that strong, could she only have returned to Hogwarts for the teaching post?

"Nightingale" Albus said gruffly to the Fat Lady when they reached the portrait hole, and the door to the Gryffindor Common room swung open.

Many of the timid-looking first years were peering about nervously. Albus, despite his bad mood, gave a couple of them an encouraging smile as he passed them, heading towards the stone steps leading to the boys' dormitory. Then he froze in his tracks as he heard an all-too-recognisable sound behind him.

"_Hem hem_" A woman gave a fake cough and all heads turned. Albus turned and saw Professor Umbridge standing in front of the fire, clipboard in hand and a very sinister smile plastered on her wrinkled, toadlike face.

"Professor McGonagall suggested that I do a little tour of the common rooms tonight to introduce myself and talk a little bit about why I have returned to Hogwarts this year" Professor Umbridge simpered in a cringe-worthy voice. She paused as if expecting some kind of answer from the students before her. The first-years had stopped in their tracks; their mouths were open in rather comical 'Os'. Then she went on.

"My role at the school is to ensure that all staff and students can feel safe to learn and teach without feeling threatened by anyone. There has always been a zero-tolerance policy on bullying and abuse of both staff and students at Hogwarts, and since the Second Wizarding War it has been strongly implemented, in particular in light of any backlash between the children of the war survivors and sufferers"

She paused for dramatic effect, her pouchy eyes coming to rest on one or two students. "It has been an ongoing project at the school that everyone is equal, and has the right to be treated equally. Therefore, if you feel that there is something going on which you are worried about, whether it's a classmate or a member of staff, you _must_ come and see me and I will investigate and sort it out immediately" Professor Umbridge explained. Albus wrinkled his nose involuntarily. "That is all for now. Goodnight"

And then Professor Umbridge left the Common Room, horrible velvet bow askew. Albus gaped after her. The nerve of that woman, talking about equality and zero tolerance when her methods of punishment involved making people write with their own blood! Frowning, Albus turned and ascended the steps to the dormitory. Some of the other boys were there already; Jemima sat perched on his bedside table, waiting for him. She nibbled his ear affectionately as he pulled on his pyjamas and got into bed.

For a while he lay awake, staring at the ceiling. He was thinking about Professor Umbridge and Professor Winters – Professor Winters in particular. He had a nasty feeling that this was not going to end well. He made a mental note to check when they had History of Magic next, hoping that he could find out a bit more about Professor Winters before their lesson. But from what he had seen of her so far, he did not like one little bit.

***

Albus woke the next morning to autumnal sunlight streaming in through the gaps in the hangings around his bed. He had not slept particularly well and now sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and reaching for his school robes. He pulled them on without really thinking, taking a quick look at the other beds. A couple of the other boys were still asleep; the others had left for breakfast already. He hoped Rose would wait for him in the Common Room – he never did get used to the stares and whispers that followed him whenever he went anywhere alone, even if they were _kind_ of complimenting him.

Once he was dressed, he went down into the Common Room to find Rose already there, as he'd expected, sitting on the squashy old sofa with her nose in an ominous-looking book. Albus resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he met her and she turned to greet him.

"Good morning, have you seen my Potions textbook? I left it down here yesterday and now I can't find it...oh well, there's no point looking for it now, I've already been up for an hour and I'm starving so I'll ask Professor Slughorn if I can borrow one until I find mine..." Rose chattered, putting the heavy book into her bag, which lay at her feet.

"Rose, you're babbling" Albus replied. This time he did roll his eyes.

"Sorry" she said. "I've just been really rattled thinking about this Umbridge issue, and about that Gloria Winters woman!" She got up from the sofa and they exited the Common Room.

"Me too" Albus said as they made their way down the many staircases. "It's really getting to me...I wonder how Scorpius is taking it, that woman insulted his parents for everyone to hear". Albus knew that Scorpius was very defensive of his parents – especially his father – and hated it when anyone said anything bad about them.

They were met halfway down the stairs by Molly Finnigan. She was carrying a handful of new quills and looking distinctly apologetic.

"Look, Rose –" she began, only to be cut off rudely by Rose.

"Come on, Al, I don't want to be late receiving my timetable" she said, grabbing the sleeve of his robes and pulling him down the stairs behind her.

"Rose, wait! Look, I'm sorry about what I said about the Scamanders, alright?" Molly called after her. "I didn't realise they were such good friends of yours. Please can we still be friends?" Rose turned back at the bottom of the stairs, her expression hard – then she gave in.

"Okay, then, since you apologised and you quite clearly mean it" Rose sighed. "Come on, I'm hungry!" And Molly joined them into the Great Hall.

Halfway through his porridge, Professor McGonagall came down the Gryffindor table handing out the new timetables. When she handed Albus his, he immediately checked for History of Magic – and perfect, it was his very first lesson right after breakfast. Then he would see what this Professor Winters was like. They had History of Magic with the Slytherins this year; Herbology would be with the Hufflepuffs, and Potions with the Ravenclaws.

"I hate double lessons!" moaned Molly, frowning at her own timetable. "We've got double Flitwick after History of Magic and I'm no good at Charms".

So, when breakfast was over, the three of them made their way up to the History of Magic corridor, eager to see what the new Professor had done with the old classroom. Albus had to admit, it felt odd walking into the room and not being greeted by the pale, smoky grey figure of the wheezy Professor Binns, floating above his desk.

The room had not changed much; apart from the fact that all the desks had been pushed together to create four extended tables stretching from wall to wall lengthways. There was a large bookcase next to the teacher's desk on which was stacked thick and heavy-looking books. And on the wall to their left was a huge poster showing a timeline of some sort; the writing was too small to make out from this distance. Professor Winters herself was nowhere to be seen.

"Where do you want to sit?" Rose whispered to Albus and Molly. The other students around them seemed to be discussing the same thing; a few had already taken their seats next to their friends.

"Not at the front, somewhere in the middle" Molly said. "How about there?" she pointed to the row of desks second from the back of the classroom.

"Alright, come on then" Rose said, and they took their seats. It was then that Albus noticed that none of the Slytherins had arrived yet; all the students present were Gryffindors.

Albus turned his attention back to the poser on the wall and squinted to get a better look at it. Aha! Now he could see that the words across the top read _The Timeline of the Wizarding Wars_. So it was a poster showing the events from Lord Voldemort's First Rise to power to the end of the Second Wizarding War some twenty years ago. No wonder this Professor had been so rude in Flourish and Blotts; she was clearly well-read on both wizarding wars.

"Scorpius, come and sit with us!" Rose called, and Albus' attention was diverted. The Slytherins, Scorpius amongst them, had just arrived. Rose pointed to the empty seat next to her.

"Why would _he_ want to sit with _you_, Ginger?" came a familiar sneer from behind Rose. Esmeralda Zabini had pushed her way past Scorpius and was now standing next to her chair with a less then amused look on her haughty face. "Hmm?"

Rose drew herself up to full height.

Leave her alone, they're my friends!" Scorpius said angrily, shoving Esmeralda out of the way so that he could sit down in the empty seat next to Rose. _"Sorry_" he mouthed at them. Esmeralda just stuck her nose in the air, fuming, and went to sit with her Slytherin cronies right at the very back of the classroom. Rose was very pink in the face.

Suddenly, the door closed with a bang and there was the rapping of shoes on the stone floor. Professor Winters had arrived. She made her way to the front of the classroom and stood facing the students in front of her desk. She wore robes of a brilliant amethyst purple and a long, dark wand was sticking out of one of the pockets. On her nose sat a pair of black-framed spectacles with a long black chain on them which hung around her neck.

"Welcome back to History of Magic" she said, taking her wand from her pocket. "I am Professor Gloria Winters and I will be teaching you this year. Now, the course you will be studying this year" she turned and tapped the large blackboard with her wand. The chalk picked itself up and began writing on the board. "will be a beginner's study into the First and Second Wizarding Wars, as we as a school think that it is of extreme importance that you as children learn about the conflicts of the past. The course will be split up into separate modules, or sections" Professor Winters rapped the board again. Albus read the words that had appeared there.

_HISTORY OF MAGIC_

_2 MODULES: FIRST AND SECOND WIZARDING WARS_

"The first unit we will be studying will be pre-First War wizarding Britain. This should take us from now until the Christmas break. When we return in January, we will begin the second unit, which will look at Lord Voldemort's Rise to Power. This is only a short unit and should take around five weeks to complete." Professor Winters suddenly turned back to face them, and her beady, black eyes rested on the row where Albus, Rose, and Scorpius were sitting. Her gaze shifted until she was staring straight at Scorpius.

"After that, the fourth unit will be looking at the Death Eater raids and the measures undertaken by the Ministry of Magic stop them. We will be looking at infamous cases of Death Eater attacks and deciding whether or not the Ministry was doing enough to protect the people involved" she said, and when she said those last words, she smirked nastily at Scorpius before turning away. Albus squirmed uncomfortably. Had Scorpius noticed the look she had given him? Had _Rose_ noticed?

"The fifth unit of the First Wizarding War, and the last, will be Lord Voldemort's First Fall in October in 1997. By the half-term holidays in February, we will have finished the first module. Any questions?" Professor Winters took off her glasses and cleaned them on the hem of her robes. "I'll take your silence as No, then". There was no humour in her voice as she spoke. In fact, her voice held no warmth or charisma whatsoever. She sounded just as cold as she had done that day in Flourish and Blotts. Then her withered face hardened alarmingly.

"I do not expect any trouble from any of you whilst you are under my teaching. If you hear something that you don't like, or if you are upset by anything we are studying, you may leave the classroom _without fuss_ until you are ready to come back in. I understand that these are difficult topics for many of you and I appreciate that you won't like hearing some of it. But I want no trouble" Professor Winters said in a clipped, superior tone that made Albus want to slap her.

It was quite clear to him why she had said this particular anecdote. It had been aimed at the Slytherins – because she knew that many of them came from families who had had connections with the Dark side and the Death Eaters during both Wizarding Wars. Albus wasn't stupid; he could see right through Professor Winters. And the thing about _difficult topics_, well, Albus had a funny feeling that she wasn't exactly going to be non-biased when teaching them about the Dark side. She had said herself in Flourish and Blotts that all Death Eaters and everyone who had connections with Lord Voldemort should have been imprisoned in Azkaban...and Albus knew that not all of them _had_ been jailed, namely the Malfoys.

Distracted by his thoughts, Albus didn't notice the piece of paper pushed his way by Rose at first. It was only when Professor Winters instructed them to get out their books and he leaned down to fetch his that he saw the piece of parchment near his elbow. Putting _A History of Modern Magic_ on the table, he picked up the parchment and turned it over to read the message. It was then that he saw that the note had come from Scorpius, and not Rose. _She's probably going to draw attention to the fact that my family were on the Dark side during the War. I don't know if I could handle her saying bad things about my Dad_ he had written. Albus bit his lip, then turned the paper over and wrote a reply.

_If she says anything, go to McGonagall. She's not supposed to bully particular students because of her own feelings. _

He pushed the parchment back along the table. Scorpius took it and read the note. A small, slightly reassured smile appeared on his pale face. It was clear he had been worrying about it since the Flourish and Blotts incident.

***

_Dear Mum and Dad_, Albus wrote.

_Did you know that Professor Umbridge is back here? She's not teaching, though. She's the 'Staff and Student Welfare Official' or something like that, she's kind of like a Muggle Guidance Counsellor I think. But from what you told me about her, Dad, what she knows about student welfare wouldn't fit on the back of a stamp. Those scars on your hand still give me the creeps. _

_We've got a new History of Magic teacher, too. She's called Gloria Winters and she's really strange. She's got really strong feelings against Death Eaters and kids from Death Eater families and she's supposed to be teaching us BOTH sides of the First and Second Wizarding Wars without being biased. I don't know how that's going to happen seeing as she was pretty publicly nasty about the Malfoys in Diagon Alley in the summer. Did you hear about that? Scorpius said his Dad was really upset over it. Scorpius is worried she'll have a go at him in lessons and pick on him because his Dad used to be Death Eater. I still can't believe that he was!_

_I'll have to go, because Professor McGonagall's given us loads of homework already (it's only the first week back!) and I'd better get it out of the way before Rose starts nagging me. _

_Lots of love,_

_Al _

Albus was sitting at one of the circular tables in the Gryffindor Common Room after lessons had finished, writing a letter home to his parents.

Lysander Scamander was lying across the sofa reading _The Quibbler_ upside-down and Rose sat opposite Albus at the table, engrossed in a Potions book.

Albus put his quill down and re-read the letter. He had thought it was a good idea to mention Professor Winters and Umbridge to his parents, just in case they had any more information for him. He hoped they could find something out for him – his Dad worked at the Ministry of Magic, after all.

"I'm just going to the Owlery to post this letter" Albus said to Rose. "I'll be back in a bit"

"Okay" came the distracted reply from his cousin. She turned a page eagerly.

He got up from the table and reached for his cloak, which was draped over the back of the chair. He pulled it on and rolled up his letter. Then he left the Common Room, ignoring the Fat Lady as she protested feebly about being woken up in the middle of her afternoon nap. The corridors were more or less deserted, and his footsteps echoed eerily on the stone floor. The Owlery was in the grounds, away from the main castle, a tall turret with winding steps going steeply upwards to the top. This was where all the owls slept – the school owls and many of the students' own owls, too. He hoped Jemima wouldn't mind waking up to deliver his letter.

Albus reached the enormous entrance doors and carefully pushed them open as quietly as he could. Chilled autumn air washed over his face as he stepped out into the grounds. From here, he could see the fifty-foot-tall goalposts of the Quidditch pitch in the distance and, to his right, the Owlery turret. Smoke was issuing from the chimney atop Hagrid's hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was surprisingly calming, walking across the grassy expanse of the grounds to the Owlery. The leaves on the trees swayed slightly in the gentle breeze as Albus neared the Owlery.

As he walked, he watched the owls flying in and out of the Owlery window, delivering letters and returning after long flights.

He climbed the steep, spiral steps to the top and entered the circular room which was lined with perches, on which sat dozens of owls. He spotted his own Barn owl, Jemima, sitting cleaning her feathers with her beak and looking important. He crossed the straw-and-owl-droppings covered floor and motioned for her to come down.

"I've got a letter for you" he said, stroking the soft feathers on the top of her head. She stuck her leg out obediently. He took a leather string from his pocket and used it to tie the letter to her scaly leg. Then she hopped onto his shoulder and nipped his ear affectionately. Albus went to the open window. "It's for mum and dad, okay? Try and deliver it as soon as you can" he said. Jemima squeezed his shoulder with her talons as she crouched and took off through the window, the letter tied to her leg. Albus watched her fly further and further away until she was a tiny brown dot in the distance.

On his way back, he tried not to worry too much about what his parents might say about Professors Umbridge and Winters. Instead, he thought about Quidditch. In two short months the Quidditch season will begin again and he would start training with the rest of the Gryffindor team ready for the Inter-House Championships. He couldn't wait. Flying made him feel free...as if his problems were thousands of miles away...where he couldn't reach them....where they couldn't bother him...

"Ah, Mr. Potter. I was hoping I would run into you, I wish to have a word" Professor McGonagall called. Albus whipped around to see her coming towards him, her square spectacles perched on the end of her straight nose.

"Why did you want to speak to me, Professor?" Albus asked, puzzled.

"It's about your friend Mr. Malfoy. I simply wished to ask you keep a close eye on him this year" Professor McGonagall said.

"You understand, of course, how Professor Winters feels about Slytherins and those whose families have connections to You-Know-Who, I take it?" she asked.

Albus nodded gravely, his worries coming back to the surface.

"Then you will understand that Professor Winters has not taken kindly to teaching Mr. Malfoy this year" Professor McGonagall sighed. "She has, to say the least, certain _opinions_ of the Malfoy family that are less than flattering and I must ask you to look after your friend. Given the opportunity, Professor Winters will use any excuse to degrade him and his parents, and I do not wish for any harm to be done. Can you do that for me?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Yes, Professor" Albus replied.

"Thank you. Run along, now, I am sure you have schoolwork you need to be doing" Professor McGonagall gave him one of her extremely rare smiles, and walked away down the corridor, her emerald green robes billowing along the floor behind her, leaving Albus in a lurch. So Professor McGonagall knew all about Gloria Winters and her attitudes towards people like Scorpius' parents. At least there was a teacher who was on their side should Professor Winters say anything.

**_A/N: Okay, I know the title of the chapter doesn't have much to do with what happens, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. How do you feel about Professors Umbridge and Winters now? What d'you reckon Harry and Ginny will say? And how much does Professor McGonagall know about it all? Stay tuned to find out!_**

**_You know the drill - love it, hate it, on the fence about it, I DON'T CARE, JUST REVIEW IT! I can't make the story better if you don't tell me what you like and what you don't like!_**

**_COMING UP: Esmeralda gets her bitch on, and the Malfoys are less than happy.....oh dear!_**

**_HPfangirl4life xxx_**


	8. Gloria Winters' Wrongdoings

_**A/N: Wow, two chapters in three days! I must be getting better. Okay, so this chapter's not the best and it's probably over-exaggerated in places, but I hope you like it anyway. Enjoy!**_

_***_

_CHAPTER EIGHT_

_Gloria Winters' Wrongdoings_

Albus wasted no time in telling Scorpius what Professor McGonagall had said about Professor Winters.

"She wants me to 'keep an eye on you' because apparently, Winters might try and say things to upset you" Albus explained as they worked in the library on Wednesday afternoon.

They were meant to be researching Basic Switching Charms for Professor Flitwick but hadn't had much luck, and Rose was refusing to help – she instead was teaching Molly how to brew a Sleeping Draught in a gesture of their renewed friendship.

"Oh" Scorpius said in a very small voice. "Dad won't be happy if he knows she's teaching here, he hates anything that might upset me. I think he's afraid I'll hate _him_ and disown him and want nothing to do with him."

"But you _don't_ hate him" Albus pointed out.

"Exactly. I don't. I actually think he's quite brave, having to come back knowing that almost the entire wizarding world wishes you had your soul sucked out through your mouth and then having to re-start his life all over again. It can't have been easy" Scorpius said.

"No, I don't suppose it was. My Dad said virtually the same thing" Albus replied. He absent-mindedly turned a page of the book he was meant to be reading, lost in thought. Opposite him, Scorpius was scribbling away on a long piece of parchment, glancing back and forth to the book propped open in front of him. He didn't seem to want to talk about it anymore, so Albus left it at that and turned back to his half-written composition. He re-read it critically, and then, annoyed with himself for not being as clever as Rose, scribbled out the last two sentences.

***

They had History of Magic again on Friday morning, and Scorpius was clearly dreading it. Albus thought he looked very nervous as they queued outside the classroom. He was going to offer some words of support when Professor Winters appeared at the door, ushering them in snappily, and Albus had to keep quiet for now.

But Scorpius needn't have worried. Once Professor Winters had taken the register, she ordered them all to open their books and read their way through the first two chapters in silence. She didn't glare, she didn't speak, and she didn't do anything at all that might have shown she disliked Scorpius in any way. The only sound that could be heard was the turning of pages and the occasional scratching of Professor Winters' quill as she marked a stack of homework at her desk. Albus was slightly relieved. Perhaps he wouldn't have to make good on his promise to Professor McGonagall after all. He should have known it was too good to last.

When the bell went for the end of the lesson, Professor Winters finally looked up, her glasses still in place. As everyone was busy keeping their books and quills, she put her own quill down and stood up.

"Leave quietly, please! I don't want disorder, thank you. No, not you, Mr. Malfoy – I want to have a word with you in my office immediately" she said, staring pointedly at Scorpius, who was halfway through putting his bag over his shoulder. He paled considerably when Professor Winters said his name.

"I'll see you in Potions" Albus said. And so he left with the others, leaving Scorpius alone in the classroom with Professor Winters.

Knees knocking, Scorpius followed Professor Winters into her office, which was raised above the classroom by a short flight of stairs. What on earth did she want to talk to _him_ about? Had this anything to do with what Professor McGonagall said to Albus? Professor Winters opened the door and beckoned for Scorpius to follow her inside.

The room was rectangular, and dominated by an enormous pale wood desk in the top half of the room. Behind it was a large, grand, high-backed chair with a red velvet cushion on it. Like the classroom, there were bookshelves crammed with heavy tomes and a map of Wizarding Britain was stuck on the wall. It looked just like any other teachers office, really. There was nothing particularly remarkable about it.

Until Scorpius noticed what was on the wall behind Professor Winters' desk.

Plastered onto the wall behind Professor Winters' desk was a collection of articles and clippings cut from the _Daily Prophet_. In some places, whole double-page spreads were pinned up. All of them were about the Death Eaters that had been involved in the First and Second Wizarding Wars. Two articles caught Scorpius' eye. The first was a double-page spread which bore the headline; _LESTRANGES CONVICTED OF BRUTAL TORTURE_. Underneath that was a large, moving, black-and-white photograph of two people Scorpius recognised instantly, though he had never met them. The woman had the distinct, wildly curly, tangled hair and wide, mad eyes of his late Great Aunt Bellatrix. The man, her husband, was thin-faced, with the same mad dark eyes as his wife – Rodolphus Lestrange. Before Scorpius could look more closely at the second article, however, Professor Winters closed her office door and marched to her desk.

With a heavy sigh, she took her glasses off and wiped them on her robes. Then, she turned her cold, hard gaze towards Scorpius.

"Did you not understand me when I said that I did not want any _fuss_ in my class?" she said icily. Scorpius stared at her, wide-eyed. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"I d-don't know what you mean, Professor" he replied, stuttering slightly from nerves. Professor Winters arched one grey eyebrow condescendingly.

"Did you or did you not complain to parents about me?" Professor Winters asked. Her dark eyes bore into Scorpius' light ones. How did she know he'd written to his father?

Scorpius could not find the right words to say.

"Professor McGonagall spoke to me after she received a _very_ worried letter from your father" she explained.

Her tone was mocking when she said _very worried letter_. "How ironic! The very person who is the source of the problem is the very person who wants something done about it!" She gave a nasty, humourless laugh. "Your grandfather never taught your father the meaning of justice, did he?" She turned to the newspaper articles on the wall. Scorpius was rooted to the spot. How dare this woman speak about his family like that! He could scarcely believe his eyes or ears. Then Professor Winters ripped something from the wall and threw it down onto the desk.

"That should give you a good idea of what I'm talking about" she snapped, pointing to it with one gnarled finger. Scorpius looked down at the article.

_CONVICTED DEATH EATERS WALK FREE:_

_Eyewitness testimony frees family convicted of murder conspiracy_

Under the article was a photograph of three people Scorpius knew very well, though looking at this photograph now he probably wouldn't recognise them if he hadn't known who they were. His father and his parents, coming out of the courtroom after their trial. But that was not what sent chills down Scorpius' spine, or had him swallowing hard. It was the unmistakable look of fear and anxiety on each of their faces. The worst was his father, barely over-age and looking as though he hadn't slept properly in months. Scorpius couldn't look at the photograph anymore; he turned away quickly, searching the room for something else to distract himself with.

There was an amused, dark chuckle from Professor Winters, who had been watching Scorpius rather smugly. His obvious discomfort seemed to please him.

"Justice" she announced. "Something the Wizengamot failed to implement, I'm afraid. I was most displeased to hear that the notorious Lucius Malfoy had escaped imprisonment along with his snivelling, useless wife...and your father, of course" She paused here to clean her glasses again.

Scorpius, who had been trying not to listen to what she was saying, was suddenly alert and furious.

"You can't say things like that about my family!" he shouted, without thinking. Snivelling and useless? His grandmother? The nerve of her!

"I thought you would react like this. Ten points from Slytherin" Professor Winters said coolly. Rage boiled in Scorpius' veins like water in a kettle.

"You can't take points away! How d'you expect me to act if you insult my family?" Scorpius protested angrily.

"Justice, Mr. Malfoy. That is why I take points away from you. Justice. Something I value dearly...and something your family knew nothing about, I'm afraid." Professor Winters explained.

"But you insulted me first! It's not fair!" Scorpius answered.

"Oh dear, ten more points from Slytherin, I think. I can't have you behaving like this. And in the future, I request that you keep your naive little mouth shut about things you don't understand" Professor Winters barked, her cool demeanour evaporating.

Scorpius was too angry for words.

"The apple never falls far from the tree, Scorpius Malfoy. You'll learn that soon enough. You're just as arrogant and insolent as your grandfather and father were. I expect no more trouble from you, or I shall have to put you in detention should you lash out again" Professor Winters said. A very tense silence fell between them.

"Leave, Mr. Malfoy. You are late for your next class" she commanded coldly. Burning with rage, Scorpius wrenched open the office door and fled.

He had no intention of going to Potions. He had no intention of going to any of his classes anymore. He was so angry he could break something. He wanted to get as far away from the History of Magic corridor as possible. As far away from Professor Winters as possible.

Scorpius unconsciously quickened his pace and broke into a run, up two flights of stairs, up another, up two more.....he didn't realise where he was going until he remembered something his father had told him before he had started at Hogwarts. He needed a safe haven, somewhere to calm down without damaging anything (or anyone)....why hadn't he thought of it straight away?

_If things get too much for you, go to the seventh floor. There's a special room hidden there. All you have to do is walk three times up and down in front of the blank wall thinking very hard about what you need. If you do it properly, a door will appear and you can go in there, and lock it, and no one will be able to get in and find you._ He remembered his father's instructions clearly.

Scorpius had reached the seventh floor. He saw the vast expanse of blank wall his father had described and headed quickly towards it. He stood in front of it and thought hard about what he wanted, what he wanted this room to become. Then he started to pace up and down in front of it, thinking hard,

_I need somewhere to hide, somewhere safe where I can calm down....I need somewhere to hide, somewhere safe...._

***

"Al, I'm really worried about Scorpius. He hasn't turned up for lessons all morning. D'you think Professor Winters said something to him that upset him?" Rose said apprehensively as the three of them – Albus, Rose and Molly - walked to the Great Hall for lunch. Rose had just voiced all of Albus' concerns.

"I don't know. He might have got sick and gone to the hospital wing, but that's not very likely" Molly suggested half-heartedly.

"No, I don't think that's it. You should have seen the way she looked at him when she asked him to stay behind. I'll bet you anything she's had a go at him. It's the perfect cover, 'cause it's just them in her office, no witnesses if Scorpius decided to tell someone" Albus replied darkly. He frowned at the flagstones on the floor. He had an unsettling feeling he was more right than he wanted to be.

The three took their seats at the Gryffindor table, which was already groaning under dozens and dozens of dishes of delicious food. But, somehow, Albus didn't have much of an appetite. Rose had got him thinking. What if Professor Winters _had_ upset Scorpius? Where would he be? The last time he had been upset, he had gone to Hagrid's, but he couldn't have done that today, because Albus knew that Hagrid had lessons all morning on Fridays. So where was he? Albus helped himself to his favourite things and tried to push down the worries that were piling up dangerously close to the surface.

Albus ate without really noticing what he was eating. He looked up at the Staff Table, scanned the row of teachers....and there was Professor Winters, talking to tiny Professor Flitwick and sipping smugly from her goblet. Albus ground his teeth in displeasure. He really felt himself hating Professor Winters.

"Look, Al!" Rose exclaimed suddenly. "That's Jemima, isn't it?" Albus looked in the direction she was pointing. And indeed it was. Much later than the other post owls, she flew over to the table and landed smoothly in front of Albus. There was a letter clamped in her beak.

"She's got Dad's reply! I wrote to him, you know" Albus dropped his voice as he took the letter from Jemima. "about Professor Winters". He ripped open the envelope with his knife and pulled the letter out. Jemima ruffled her feathers, pleased, before swooping off again to the Owlery for a nap with the other school owls. Albus smoothed the letter out.

_Dear Al,_

_First things' first, I just need to –_

_ALBUS, WHATEVER YOU DO, PLEASE DON'T GET ON THE WRONG SIDE OF DOLORES UMBRIDGE._

_Erm...okay, that was your mother. She wrote on the paper when I wasn't looking. Anyway, I was going to say that first things' first, you need to know that there are some people – as you may well know already – who haven't really 'adapted' to the changing attitudes in the wizarding community since the War. These are mostly people who've lost family and friends to Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters and who feel they have been cheated._

_Secondly, I've heard of this Gloria Winters and to be frank, she isn't exactly sweet as sugar. She's tried for years to toughen Ministry laws and get tighter security in Azkaban and every time, she's failed. Scorpius has every reason to be worried about what she might do, and so do Draco and Astoria themselves. I suppose you've heard from Scorpius that his father contacted McGonagall about it. I would like to say that he's overreacting – but he's not. Gloria Winters is clever and manipulative, and you'd do well to stay on her good side. _

_I can't say much more here, I'm actually not supposed to say anything because of Ministry confidentiality, but keep an eye on Winters and on Scorpius, too. Just in case. _

_Love,_

_Dad_

_PS. How is it being back at Hogwarts? Are you enjoying yourself?_

Well, that certainly cleared up a few things for Albus. So, Professor Winters was some kind of Slytherin-hating, anti-Malfoy activist who wanted tighter security in the wizard prison Azkaban and thought all Death Eaters should be given the Dementor's Kiss. Albus didn't _think_ he hated this woman – he _knew_ he hated her.

And now he was ninety-nine point nine percent sure she had said something to upset Scorpius after History of Magic.

"Scorpius is back" Molly whispered suddenly. Albus, still holding his father's letter, looked up. Scorpius had just entered the Great Hall, small and pale and – it was unmistakable – he looked as though he had been crying, even from this distance.

"D'you think he's alright?" Rose asked worriedly. She watched with a concerned expression as he took his seat at the Slytherin table. Esmeralda shifted down the bench as if Scorpius was infected with something contagious, flicking her long, poker-straight hair over her shoulder. Then she very obviously pointed at him and said something, making the girls sitting next to her on the bench roar with laughter. Then Esmeralda turned and caught the eye of Rose, Albus and Molly, who were all staring at her. She glowered at them, nose in the air, and smirked nastily in their direction.

Scorpius lowered his head and tried as hard as he could to ignore the strange looks the rest of the Slytherins were giving him.

"Poor Scorpius" Molly said.

"We should wait for him. He looks like he could do with the company" Albus suggested.

**_A/N: Oh dear oh dear, poor Scorpius! Damn Professor Winters to hell and back is what I say! But, it's what YOU think that counts here, so if you think a) it rocked your socks, b) it sucked like dust into a vacuum cleaner or c) you're not quite sure about it, I DON'T CARE JUST DROP ME A LINE AND REVIEW IT, PLEASE! If you do, I will send each of you lovely readers a virtual cookie. _**

**_HPfangirl4Life xxx_**

**_COMING UP: Umridge sticks her horrible velvet bow in other people's business, and Esmeralda continues her 'Scorpius-is-a-Gryffindor-loving-freak' campaign. Crap! _**


	9. Esmeralda's Secret

_**A/N: Sorry you had to wait a bit for this one, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. Don't forget to review!**_

_****_

_CHAPTER NINE_

_Esmeralda's Secret_

Albus was trying, yet again, to get Scorpius to tell him what had happened with Professor Winters. Trying, and failing.

"I don't want to talk about it" Scorpius said quietly. "It's fine, really. I'm fine" He didn't sound fine. In fact, he sounded all droopy and defeated. Albus wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Come on, Scorpius. You can tell me. We're friends, right? I won't tell anyone, I promise" Albus pressed.

But still, Scorpius shook his head. Albus sighed and leaned back in his chair. They were in the library again, forced into going by Rose, who wanted to 'get ahead' with her schoolwork. She was currently researching the modules that they were going to be studying in History of Magic and frantically making notes on some parchment. Albus, who just didn't have Rose or Scorpius' aptitude for books and learning, was flicking through a big book about Quidditch. Molly was doodling absent-mindedly on the corner of her parchment and playing with her hair.

"D'you think Mum and Dad will help me with History of Magic if I ask them?" Rose said, frowning at her parchment. "I mean....they might know extra stuff about the War that Professor Winters' won't teach us".

"I hope she'll be too ill to teach us" Scorpius interjected in a hard voice. "Otherwise I'm calling in sick and I'm not going".

"You can't do that!" exclaimed Rose, scandalised.

"You don't know what she said in front of me" Scorpius retorted, his voice suddenly quiet and mousy again. "You wouldn't want to see her again, either". There was a rather awkward pause where none of them quite knew what to say.

"Then tell us" Albus insisted. "We won't say anything, will we, Rose? Not if you don't want us to".

"No. It can be a secret if you want. Only if it really is something bad, you should tell Professor McGonagall" Rose agreed. Then she smiled at Scorpius.

"Okay. Fine. But I don't want to tell anyone else....especially not McGonagall" Scorpius finally said.

***

The following Monday morning, they were greeted in the History of Magic classroom by a large, moving map of Great Britain, complete with black-and-white photographs. Next to it was a similar-looking map, only parts of it had been blacked out. Written on the blackboard next to Professor Winters' desk was_ Pre-War Britain: Government, Society and Blood Diversity_. Albus, Scorpius, Rose and Molly took their seats very reluctantly near the back of the classroom. In between wanting to tell Professor McGonagall what Winters' had said to Scorpius and having the uncontrollable urge to staple things to her head, Albus had agreed _not_ to skive off History of Magic and simply attend the class to defend his friend. In fact, Albus was fuming and so were Rose and Molly; the very idea that a teacher would behave in such a way with a student was appalling, and especially because of something that had happened more than twenty years ago!

As usual, Professor Winters was the last of them to arrive, today wearing robes of crimson that reminded Albus of blood. Her glasses hung on their long black chain around her neck and her grey hair was pinned into elaborate curls. She gave the class a ludicrously false smile and put her hands together.

"Now, today we are going to begin looking at wizard life in Britain before the First War, by studying the Government, Society and Blood Diversity. I notice that some of you have seen the maps I have on the wall behind me, and we are going to be using these today to help us with our work. But first, please copy" she tapped the blackboard with her wand, "this information down. I want complete silence. Whilst you are all doing that, I will call the register".

Albus looked up. On the blackboard was a table with the headings _Pre-War Britain_ and _The Beginning of War _across the top. Down the sides were written _Government_, _Society_ and _Blood Diversity_. Professor Winters began calling the register. Albus couldn't help but notice the bitterness of her tone when she reached 'Scorpius Malfoy', and the distinct dislike in her voice. Once or twice, he stabbed the parchment so hard with his quill that it punctured the paper. Fighting against his urge to say something to Professor Winters, Albus gritted his teeth and got on with his work.

Professor Winters finished calling the register and put her quill down before returning to the front of the classroom. She took her wand from the pocket of her robes – where she had placed it previously – and turned to point at the maps behind her.

"Now, to begin we will be looking at the last of the three topics we will be looking at – _Blood Diversity_. Can anyone tell me what blood diversity means before we begin?" Professor Winters asked, surveying the students closely.

Next to him, Albus could sense that Rose was fighting against her natural urge to answer Professor Winters' question. She, like him, was trying not to give Professor Winters the satisfaction she wanted.

"No one? Well, that's a shame. Doesn't _anyone_ want to have a guess?" Professor Winters prompted. There was an uncomfortable silence in which she looked at each student in turn. Several girls in front turned pink and fidgeted in their seats.

At last, a girl with dark plaits near the front raised her hand.

"Blood diversity is how much of the population in a specific area is made up of witches and wizards of different blood status" she said timidly.

"Well done, Miss..."

"Merryweather, Professor" the girl replied.

"Well done, Miss Merryweather, take five points for your house. Yes, blood diversity is how much of the population is made up of witches and wizards who are of different blood status – Pureblood, Half-Blood and of course, Muggle-born. This first map here" Professor Winters pointed to it with her wand, "shows the areas of Britain before the First Wizarding War that had a healthy mix of all three blood statuses, where witches and wizards of different magical blood lived together in society. The second map shows what happened to that diversity once Lord Voldemort came to power" Professor Winters pointed to the second map.

"You can see that there is a considerable difference between both maps, and that is due, for the most part, intimidation and mass fright caused by Lord Voldemort's followers, better known as Death Eaters". Professor Winters' expression hardened obviously as she came to the end of her sentence. She seemed to be lost in bitter thought for a minute, but then composed herself. "Please turn to pages ten and eleven in your books and transfer the information into the table you have copied at the beginning of the lesson. Make sure you take it all in as I will be quizzing you after fifteen minutes to see whether you have been paying attention. You may begin".

Albus didn't feel like obeying Professor Winters at all. In fact, he had half a mind to ignore her completely. It would serve her right for the way she had treated Scorpius. It was only when he forced himself to imagine Rose's displeasure if he had to end up asking her if he could borrow her notes for exam revision that he grudgingly put quill to parchment, and reluctantly did as Professor Winters had asked. In fact, he was rather surprised that he managed to sit through the entire lesson without acting out. So, when it was time to pack up their things, he sighed in relief as he put his books, quill, ink and parchment back into his bag. Perhaps – if Professor Winters didn't do anything else to Scorpius – he could survive the year without speaking up for himself.

The rest of the day, luckily for Albus, passed in a similar and uneventful fashion. Professor Slughorn set them an essay on the correct way to brew an Awareness Enhancing Potion, and Professor McGonagall made each of them attempt to turn their textbooks into turtles in front of the class. At lunch, Esmeralda and her gang of Slytherin girls didn't pick on Scorpius as they had done before. They didn't even look at him. Whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, Albus couldn't decide – but at least Scorpius looked a little more at ease than he had the day before, and for that, Albus was grateful. Perhaps Scorpius wouldn't get any hassle that day.

Even so, Scorpius waited until it was five minutes to nine that night before making his way towards the dungeons. Putting off going back to the Slytherin Common Room until as late as he possibly could. _He's probably worried that Esmeralda and her friends will pick on him once they're out of earshot of anyone else,_ Albus thought. _Can't say I blame him. Esmeralda's awful_. _And she's _supposed _to be his cousin!_

He couldn't imagine of his many cousins doing that to him. Okay, so James teased him a lot and they often argued, but he wouldn't deliberately _bully_ Albus. Not like Esmeralda was bullying Scorpius. James often nicked Albus' things and hid them for a prank, but it wasn't in the nasty way that Esmeralda had once hidden all of Scorpius' possessions and then watched him search the dungeons looking for them. Esmeralda was poisonous – like the apple that put Snow White into a deep sleep. And it looked as if Professor Winters was just as poisonous as Esmeralda was.

Albus slept uneasily that night, and awoke before anyone else the next morning. He could tell it was only just daybreak by the weak pinkish light coming in through the gaps in the bed hangings. Rubbing his eyes, he turned over and tried to go back to sleep, but found that he couldn't. He was wide awake. The only sound was the snoring coming from his dorm-mates and the occasional ruffling of the treetops outside. Deciding that he might as well get up properly now, he got out of bed and, shivering in the sudden cold air, dressed in his school robes. Perhaps he should go to the Owlery and see how Jemima was doing. Was it too early to be out roaming the grounds? He didn't really want to get caught – especially by Professor Winters or Umbridge. It wasn't worth it to have Mrs Toadface sticking her velvet bow in everything, or Winters and her anti-Scorpius campaign. Shaking his head to rid his mind of the dangerous path his thoughts were taking, he sat on the end of his bed and looked pensively around. Albus had been at Hogwarts for a whole year already. He was one-seventh of his way through his magical education. To him, that seemed like a lot. True, he still had another six years – counting this one – but it felt as if the months were flying past. Before he knew it, he would be up to his eyeballs in O.W.L revision and then N.E.W.T.s, and then he would be leaving Hogwarts. It was a scary thought.

Deep in thought, he didn't hear the creak of the floorboards outside, nor the sound of footfalls on the stone steps. But he stood up anyway, brushing down his robes, and he checked the clock on his bedside table. Half past six. Students weren't technically allowed out of their Common Rooms until half past seven in the mornings. He still had an hour to wait before the earliest time for breakfast. It was chilly in the dormitory – even with his uniform on - and so he decided to go down into the common room and warm up by the fire that would surely be lit in the marble grate.

There was someone already there. He recognised his cousin Rose by her wildly curly red hair and stooped position – a posture he associated with Rose's reading habits. The top of her dressing gown was showing over the back of the squashy sofa, which meant that she was probably still in her pyjamas.

"What are you doing up so early?" Albus asked her, joining her on the sofa. Uncharacteristically, there was no book resting in her lap this time.

"I could ask you the same thing" Rose retorted jokingly, sitting back in her seat and stretching out her legs so that her slippered feet rose into view.

"Couldn't sleep" Albus said. "I was thinking...about you-know-who" he explained.

"So was I" Rose admitted. "I mean, I was thinking about going to McGonagall myself and tell her what she did to Scorpius."

***

They didn't have History of Magic again, so there was no excuse for Professor Winters to pick on Scorpius, but as the week progressed the four of them had another threat to worry about. Esmeralda Zabini was taking advantage of Scorpius' vulnerability and sensitivity about his family and his parents' past by making loud comments about his father in the Great Hall during mealtimes, when they passed in the corridors, and when they waited outside classrooms. At first, her comments were subtle.

"Do you know what Azkaban's like, Scorpius?"

"I'm sure your grandfather could tell you what Dementors are like, Scorpius"

"Would you say you knew your dad, Scorpius? What I mean is, do you _really_ know him?"

Scorpius chose to ignore these comments whenever they cropped up and put a brave face on. Molly once threatened to hex Titania Nott, who had teased Scorpius about his height on the way to Charms, for which he was very grateful. Being short was Scorpius' biggest hang-up and hated it when people kept mistaking him for a nine year old. But then Esmeralda chose a different tack and would trip Scorpius up in the corridors, on the way into his classrooms, outside the Herbology greenhouses. She deliberately tipped her ink bottle over the Transfiguration essay he had spent the best part of two hours composing and he excused himself to go to the toilet during one Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson and came back fighting tears – he had found his favourite book, _To Kill a Mockingbird_, dumped in the sink with the tap running on it.

Despite Esmeralda's bullying, Scorpius refused to tell Professor McGonagall – or any other teachers. He simply kept quiet and let it carry on. But Esmeralda wasn't finished, and little did they know that worse was to come.

On Thursday, they had Potions with the Slytherins after lunch and, as usual, Esmeralda tried to trip Scorpius up on the way to his seat, but Rose was one step ahead of her. As soon as she saw Esmeralda stick her foot out, she performed a Trip Jinx (something that was only taught at O.W.L. level and something that only Rose Weasley could have mastered) under the table and Esmeralda went flying, falling backwards into the open store cupboard. The Gryffindors roared with laughter whilst Esmeralda struggled to get up, her sneery face furious.

"Thanks" Scorpius said as he sat down in between Albus and Molly.

"Don't mention it" Rose replied, her cheeks pink.

Luckily for them, Professor Slughorn entered at just that moment, stopping Esmeralda from retaliating. Esmeralda kept her acid green eyes on the four of them all through the lesson, a hostile expression on her face. It was a shame really, as if she stopped frowning and glaring so much she could be quite pretty, with her high cheekbones and clear brown skin. Instead, she chose to smirk and sneer and jibe. Today, they were doing the first stage of brewing a simple Awareness Enhancing Draught. The ingredients had to be added every ten minutes over the course of an hour, the mixture then stirred precisely five times every two minutes before allowing it to boil before taking it off the heat and letting it cool. It was therefore lucky that their Potions lesson was a double one, as in an ordinary lesson they wouldn't have time to complete all the steps.

At the end of the lesson, they packed away their things and went out into the corridor. It was break now, so most students would be heading for the grounds or the Quidditch pitch, others going to the library to catch up with schoolwork. They had just started in the direction of the corridor that would take them up to the Transfiguration courtyard when Esmeralda fell into step on Scorpius' left side.

"Hi" she said in a false, cheery voice.

"Bye" Molly snapped, waving her hand at her in a gesture of getting her to leave.

"So Scorpius" Esmeralda carried on, "I hear you want to know about your parents". Albus narrowed his eyes. This couldn't be good.

"Then again, if it was me, I would be pretty _angry_ with them myself. I wouldn't anything to do with them, actually" she said in a haughty voice that unnerved Albus. Rose was watching Esmeralda carefully and Molly had her wand out beneath her robes – probably in case Esmeralda tried to do anything.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Scorpius muttered. Esmeralda faked shock.

"You don't _know_? If that was my dad.....well, I'd find out everything I could" she exclaimed.

"What was that about my dad?" Scorpius half-shouted, stopping in his tracks and wheeling to face Esmeralda.

"You don't know, do you?" she whispered dramatically. She fished around in her schoolbag for a few moments and pulled out a piece of paper with a flourish. There was an evil glint her eye as she thrust the paper at Scorpius. His eyes bulged when he saw what it was. From what Albus could see, it was a newspaper cutting from the _Daily Prophet_

"Where did you get this?" Scorpius croaked.

"Professor Winters let me borrow it" she announced, drawing herself up to full height and sticking her nose in the air. "She thought you should at least know a _bit_ more about your background" she added icily.

The newspaper cutting was trembling in Scorpius' hand.

"See?" Esmeralda prompted. "See what _traitors_ your family were? _"Faithful to the Cause"_ my arse" she spat.

Rose leaned over to get a closer look at the article and her mouth dropped open. Albus peered over her shoulder.

_DEATH EATER CONFESSES TO MURDER CONSPIRACY:_

_Albus Dumbledore's Assassination: The Truth At Last _

**_A/N: Dun Dun DUUUNNNN! Dramatic ending or what? I toyed a bit with where to end this chappie, and seeing as this particular incident follows through to one of the main plot lines of this story I thought I'd have a cliffhanger just to keep my most loyal readers and reviewers on tenterhooks. _**

**_Some things for you to have a think about:_**

**_1. _To Kill a Mockingbird_ by Harper Lee is Scorpius' favourite book. Is there any signifiance to that? *wink wink*_**

**_2. What do you think is in the article Esmeralda shows Scorpius at the end?_**

**_3. We have yet to see any plotline that revolves around Al even though the series is actually about him. Why have I chosen to concentrate on Scorpius for the first handful of chapters? And when is the Sword of Gryffindor going to crop up, eh?_**

**_Oh, and whatever you think of this chapter, don't forget to drop me a line and review - 'cause I don't know what I'm doing right or wrong if you don't tell me! _**

**_Thanks, HPfangirl4life xxx_**

**_COMING UP: Al has an interesting conversation with The Potions Master, and Dumbledore gets nostalgic. Plus, Umbridge is back in action! I know I said Umbridge would be in this chapter, but 'cause of changes to the end of the chapter she's gonna pop up in all her Toad-like glory in the next chapter, okay folks!_**


	10. Lion, Phoenix and Doe

_**A/N: Another chapter for you to devour! I honestly think that this chapter isn't as good as the others, and that I should have written a bit more action into it, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. **_

_**Also, quite a few of you are beginning to spot the parallels between this series and the orignal series. Hats off to you, because the idea of 'History repeating itself' *wink wink* will come up again and again if you look closely enough.....on with the story!**_

_***_

_CHAPTER TEN_

_Lion, Phoenix and Doe_

Several things happened at once.

"Traitor" Esmeralda repeated in that icy, superior voice of hers. "Cowards."

The corridor was deserted. Scorpius dropped the article and took one step back from Esmeralda. Rose tightened her grip on her wand and Molly was muttering all kinds of hexes and jinxes under her breath. Albus could do nothing but stare, following the newspaper cutting as it fell to the floor from Scorpius' trembling hand.

For one crazy moment Albus thought that Scorpius was just going to walk away and leave Esmeralda there. It would certainly be the logical, _safe_ thing to do. But Scorpius was so shocked and angry at Esmeralda's taunts that he was past being logical and safe.

He took another step back, and then –

"_Expelliarmus!_" he shouted, his wand out before Albus could register the movement. Esmeralda flew backwards and landed, quite unceremoniously, on the floor a good few metres behind them. Scorpius was next to her in seconds, his wand pointing at her heart.

"You don't know _anything_ about my Dad" he snarled furiously. "You don't know how much what happened in the war affected him. You have no _idea_ how sorry he is for what did. So you have no right to call _him_ a coward because you don't know the horrible things he saw. Do you understand?" he hissed, the tip of his wand touching the Slytherin badge embroidered on her robes. Rose was staring, wide-eyed and concerned, her mouth gaping open in shock.

"Yes" Esmeralda squeaked in a voice very much unlike her usual icy sneer. Scorpius straightened up and put his wand back inside is robes. His expression was unreadable from this distance. Esmeralda got to her feet shakily and avoided looking at any of them before scuttling off down the corridor.

"That" Albus breathed when Scorpius met them, "was _scary_"

"I had to...doesn't know anything....teach her a lesson..." Scorpius gasped angrily. Then he grinned. "It felt brilliant too, after all the stuff she's done to me".

"You really shouldn't have, though" Rose said. "What if she tells McGonagall?"

Scorpius' face fell.

"Damn" he said quietly. "I never thought of that. I suppose if she does, McGonagall will tell my parents...I could just tell them what Esmeralda did to me...and Professor Winters" He became very quiet as he finished his sentence.

"I think it's really nice, defending your dad like that" Molly interjected.

"Someone's got to" Scorpius said. "I mean, the War ended twenty years ago and you should see the stick he still gets because of it, some people just don't want to give him a chance". Some of his earlier confidence seemed to be returning.

The bell signifying the end of break sounded as though in the walls of the castle themselves.

"We should get going, we don't want to be late" Rose said, beckoning for them to go to their next lesson.

"Yeah, in a minute. I just need to do something" Scorpius replied. He bent down and picked up the fallen newspaper article, and then took out his wand.

"_Incendio_" he said, putting his wand to the paper. It ignited at once, orange and red flames licking at the headline, dissolving the article into a small pile of grey ash.

"I don't want to think about it" Scorpius explained, seeing the confused look on the other's faces. "If this article is lying around, I won't be able to get away from it".

"Good idea" praised Albus, nodding in agreement. He would have done the same thing should a scandalous article about one of his family appeared in the _Daily Prophet_. Burn the evidence so it wouldn't hurt him.

However, they were stopped halfway down the Charms corridor by Professor McGonagall. Albus' heart sank into his shoes and an uncomfortable sensation gripped his insides.

"Mr. Malfoy" she said in a disapproving, severe tone associated with deep trouble. "I want to speak with you in my office. And you three can come too" she added, turning to Albus, Rose and Molly. Her dark eyes were hard behind her square spectacles and her brows were furrowed in disapproval.

_Oh no, this can't be good, Esmeralda's probably told McGonagall that Scorpius attacked her....and made up a load of stuff that isn't true as well. Great_ Albus thought miserably. He was mostly worried for Scorpius, who was looking rather nervous. Surely there was some school rule about defending yourself against bullies.

Because that was what Esmeralda was – a bully. At least Scorpius had Albus, Rose and Molly as witnesses should Professor McGonagall ask what happened.

"Sherbet lemon" Professor McGonagall told the giant golden griffin when they reached her office. It sprang aside at once and a flight of stone steps appeared. The five of them climbed on, Albus' worries elevating. Professor McGonagall pushed open the heavy oak door and strode purposefully into her office. It was just the same as it had been the last time Albus had been here. The large, circular room was covered on one half by one long, curving bookshelf filled with heavy-looking books. Several smaller tables stood around the room holding a host of weird and wonderful objects, stacks of parchment, spare quills and bottles of ink in every colour of the rainbow. The room was dominated by an enormous mahogany desk and matching ornate high-backed chair – and next to it stood Professor Umbridge.

Albus had to stop himself from gasping aloud as he spotted her there, a smug smile on her wide mouth, a horrible pink velvet Alice band in her iron-grey curls, set in what she probably thought was a jaunty fashion. Today, she was wearing robes of an eye-watering, bright pink with a fur-lined hood and a matching pink cardigan over the top. _She really shouldn't be wearing that at her age_, Albus thought with a sly smile. His expression faltered suddenly, however, when he saw that Esmeralda was sitting in one of the two chairs in front of Professor McGonagall's desk.

And from the severity of Professor McGonagall's expression, all four of them – Albus, Rose, Molly and Scorpius – were in very deep trouble.

"I have brought Professor Umbridge" the name came out distorted through Professor McGonagall's teeth, "here today because of a matter of serious importance. As our resident Staff and Student Welfare Official, she was most concerned when Miss Zabini came to her with claims that _you_" she snapped sternly, her eyes flashing behind her glasses as she turned to Scorpius, "have been bullying her in the past few weeks".

"WHAT?" spluttered Molly furiously. "No way, Professor, you've got it wrong! _She's_ the one bullying _him_, not the other way around!"

"Be quiet, Miss Finnigan! This is a matter that does not concern you!" Professor McGonagall chastised.

"But it's true!" Molly wailed indignantly. "She's been calling him names and hiding his stuff and making fun of his family _and_ she just called his dad a coward ten minutes ago!"

"It's true, Professor" Rose had found her voice and was nodding enthusiastically in agreement.

"Mr. Potter? Your contribution?" Professor McGonagall said disbelievingly.

"Yeah" Albus replied. "I mean, yeah, she's been horrible to him. She's the one who should be punished, not Scorpius".

"Very well" Professor McGonagall sighed. "Mr. Malfoy, Miss Zabini, may I ask that you both join Professor Umbridge in her office. I will also be there. This will need some serious investigating, as you know full well that there is a zero tolerance system on bullying in this school. Miss Weasley, Mr. Potter, you may return to your classes".

Esmeralda rose from her chair and swung her long black hair over her shoulder. As she passed Albus, she deliberately knocked into him, hard. Her acid green eyes flashed as she looked back and the phrase _if looks could kill_ went through Albus' mind. Scorpius followed her timidly, looking downcast but somehow also pleased that his three friends had stuck up for him. Professor Umbridge, short and squat, swaggered past them importantly and adjusted her pink cardigan. Rose wrinkled her nose as she followed Professor McGonagall, Esmeralda and Scorpius out of the door. Now, Albus and Rose were quite alone in the Headmistress' office.

"We should go" Rose said. "We don't want to be even later than we already are". Albus nodded. He turned towards the dark oak door and made to open it, reaching for the ornate brass doorknob in the shape of a lion's head.

"Well, well, well! I must say, this is a nice surprise, Mr. Potter. That was a very loyal thing you just did" a voice sounded from nowhere, making Albus and Rose both jump a foot in the air. They wheeled around, looking for the source of the voice, but there was no one there. Was there?

A low, amused chuckle.

_What the-? _thought Albus wildly.

Who was speaking to him? And how did they know his name?

"Over here, Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley!" the voice laughed. "Above dear Professor McGonagall's chair". They both spun around, searching, looking –

"Professor Dumbledore!" Rose exclaimed in shock. "It's you!" Her gaze was fixed on the largest, most impressive portrait hanging behind Professor McGonagall's desk chair. An old man with a long, silvery beard that matched his hair in a navy tasselled cap and half-moon glasses was smiling at them fondly. Professor Dumbledore. Albus suddenly felt himself going very red, feeling stupid for not realising it sooner.

"Yes, it is me, Miss Weasley" Professor Dumbledore said heartily. "I apologise for startling you and your cousin. Then again, I rather startled myself. I'm afraid I haven't become accustomed to seeing such widely recognised faces in this office" Albus flushed red again.

And then he suddenly realised something. This was Albus Dumbledore – his namesake! This was the perfect opportunity to find out more about his father's schooldays, and the man he had been named after.

"May I ask your names? There are rather a lot of Weasleys in this school, though not so many Potters. In fact, I only know of one. Quite the frequent visitor, I might add" Professor Dumbledore said.

"I'm Rose, Professor. Just Rose Weasley" Rose squeaked nervously. It felt extremely odd to be talked to by a portrait, and especially if that portrait was one of the greatest wizards of all time.

"And you, young man?" Professor Dumbledore asked interestedly.

"I'm Albus, sir. Albus Severus Potter. Most people call me Al" Albus replied nervously, looking at the floor rather than at Dumbledore's portrait.

"Are you really?" Professor Dumbledore said incredulously. "Well, I'm most honoured. I never expected Harry to think so much of me. Don't you agree, Severus?" he called to the portrait on his left. Albus' stomach gave a funny jolt when Professor Dumbledore mentioned his father by name. And gave another jolt when the hook-nosed, sallow-skinned man on Professor Dumbledore's left spoke.

"Albus Severus Potter" Professor Snape said, very quietly. "My my....this is not something you hear every day" He sounded somewhat disbelieving.

"It seems that Harry received your parting message, Severus" Professor Dumbledore said sadly.

"Indeed. Though I haven't the faintest idea why I should have been given such honour" was the only reply from the Potions Master. He seemed to be lost for any other words.

Albus, however, was flummoxed. What parting message? This was becoming very odd. From what he knew about Severus Snape, he had expected a sharp telling-off for loitering in the Headmistress' office.

"I only need to ask you one thing" Professor Snape spoke again, this time in a strained voice, as if what he was trying to say was causing him pain.

"Er...okay. Um, Professor" Albus stammered, feeling stranger and stranger every second.

"What colour are your eyes?" Snape asked. _Wait – what?_ Albus thought. _That's a bit of an odd thing to ask someone_.

"Green, Professor" he replied, feeling a bit stupid. "Like my dad's. His are green too".

"Lily's eyes" Professor Snape sighed sadly. "And I had thought myself free from all of this..."

The office door flew open and in strode Professor McGonagall, wearing her most stern expression.

"_Potter? Weasley? _What are you still doing in my office? You are meant to be in lessons!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed. Albus and Rose jumped and wheeled around.

"I'm sorry, Professor, we were just-" Rose started to explain.

"It was my doing, Minerva. I was merely making conversation with Miss Weasley and Mr. Potter here" Professor Dumbledore said, from behind them.

"Oh, well....very well, in that case....off you go then" Professor McGonagall said, flustered, wiping her square spectacles on the hem of her emerald robes. "Though you really should know better than that, Albus" she added sternly to Professor Dumbledore's portrait. Professor Dumbledore merely smiled in return.

Albus and Rose quickly left Professor McGonagall's office, suddenly realising that they were forty minutes late for Charms.

"Sorry Professor Flitwi-" Rose began when they entered, but stopped dead in her tracks mid-sentence. Albus followed her gaze and felt as if he had just walked through Nearly Headless Nick. Tiny Professor Flitwick was nowhere to be seen. The person standing behind his desk was taller, with shoulder-length wavy grey hair and hard, black eyes in a very wrinkled face. Her mouth was set in a hard line.

It was Gloria Winters.

"You are more than half an hour late!" she barked angrily. "Where have you been?"

"We were with Professor McGonagall" Rose explained nervously.

"Interesting" said Professor Winters coldly. "I have just seen Professor McGonagall pass by this corridor and you were not with her. In fact, she was quite alone."

Albus' mouth gaped open in disbelief. Was this woman deliberately trying to make it look as though they were skipping classes?

"Fifteen points apiece will be taken from Gryffindor for your tardiness and negative attitude to your lessons, and you will join me in detention in my office tonight at seven o'clock. No excuses." Albus suddenly remembered something that Amanda Braithwaite had told him that morning.

"But Professor, I've got Quidditch practice" Albus said. "We're starting early this season".

"No excuses, Potter! You will be in my office seven o'clock sharp. I do not want to see you on the Quidditch field, understood? You must learn to take punishment when you have done wrong" she snapped irritably. "Sit down. Professor Flitwick is ill today and so I offered to cover his lesson. Turn to page 24 in your books, _Intermediate Theory of Charms_."

***

Late that afternoon, after classes had ended, Albus was sitting hunched over a Herbology essay on the uses of Fanged Geraniums in a very bad mood. Not only was he going to miss vital Quidditch practice that evening – for which Amanda Braithwaite was highly unappreciative – but it turned out that Esmeralda was not being punished for bullying Scorpius because there was no proof that she had actually done anything. To cap it all off, he kept going over the brief – but none the less intriguing – conversation he had had with Professors Dumbledore and Snape in his head, wondering what it all could have meant. The part about Albus' father receiving Professor Snape's 'parting message' was the most confusing, as Albus had absolutely no idea what Dumbledore had been talking about.

And then it hit him. He had had the same idea in Professor McGonagall's office not a few hours ago! He knew from the staff schedule and rota pinned on the notice board in the Entrance Hall that Professor McGonagall was in a staff meeting from now until dinner, which gave Albus a one-hour window to go to her office and talk to Professors Snape and Dumbledore about his dad and, more importantly, about the Second Wizarding War. He could take the Maurauder's map so that he could keep an eye out for Filch or Mrs. Norris. He already knew the password to get into McGonagall's office. Could he pull it off?

Acting quickly, before he could change his mind, he rolled up his Herbology essay and stuffed it, along with his quill, ink and textbook, into his schoolbag and rushed upstairs. He dropped his bag by the bedside table, then reached underneath his bed and pulled out his trunk. He quickly opened it, rummaging around in the mess of robes, ordinary Muggle clothes, bits of parchment and several broken quills. Albus pulled out the Maurauder's map and his wand from his pocket, before shutting his trunk and pushing it back under the bed. He pricked his ears carefully, listening for any sound that suggested he might get caught. Then, he put the map in the inside pocket of his school robes, out of sight, descended the stone steps and went out the portrait hole.

_What am I going to say when I get there?_ He thought suddenly. _I can't just barge in_. He only hoped Professor McGonagall didn't come back from the meeting early and catch him in her office. The corridors were virtually deserted; only the people in the portraits gave him inquisitive looks as he passed. He ducked into an alcove on the Transfiguration corridor and took out his wand.

"_I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good"_ he whispered, tapping the Maurauder's map with his wand.

At once, ink appeared on the parchment, snaking into shapes and drawings. In a matter of seconds, a miniature replica of Hogwarts castle, complete with grounds, had formed before his eyes. Albus opened the map and scanned it carefully. _Good, Filch is on the second floor...and Mrs. Norris is prowling the Entrance Hall. Perfect_. There were no students around either, though he grinned to himself when he identified the tiny dot labelled 'Rose Weasley' in the library. And, next to it, a dot labelled 'Scorpius Malfoy'.

Albus had the funny notion Scorpius liked Rose a lot more that he was letting on – but he pushed that to the back of his mind for the moment, and carried on up to the floor where Professor McGonagall's office was.

His heart was racing as he finally reached the floor he wanted. He suddenly felt nervous. What if they – Professors Dumbledore and Snape – told him off for snooping in the Headmistress' office? He knew that what he was doing was breaking about twenty school rules – not that he knew what they were, exactly – but it he felt that it was important that he spoke to them. Who better to give him information about his dad and the Second War than the two people he had been named after? Eyeing the statue of the golden griffin at the end of the corridor, he tiptoed carefully towards it, glancing at the map every few seconds to see if anyone was approaching. He drew himself up to full height and willed his nerves to disappear.

"Sherbet lemon" he said, as clearly as he could. For a second, he thought the griffin would not respond. And then, the enormous golden statue jumped aside and a spiralling staircase appeared. Albus quickly jumped onto it and climbed up to the heavy oak door.

He suddenly remembered that the door had no handle. How was he supposed to open it? It must be locked by magic! _Don't you pay attention to Rose at all?_ A bored but irritated voice sounded from somewhere in his brain. _If you did, you'd remember how to open locks by magic!_

Albus racked his brains. Of course!

"Alohomora!" he waved his wand at the place where the door handle should be, and there was a soft click. There was no going back now. He placed his free hand – the one that wasn't clenched so tightly around his wand that the knuckles were white – on the door and slowly pushed it open.

Albus' breath hitched in his throat as he stepped inside the lavish, circular office. It was completely deserted. The high-backed chair that Professor McGonagall sat in was vacant. There was a precariously high pile of parchment perched on the desk. A large, moving model of the solar system sat on one of the spindly tables, giving off a strange, silvery-blue glow that reminded Albus of the memories swirling around in his father's Pensieve. It was quiet, too quiet, and Albus was all too aware of the thundering of his pulse in his ears.

He jumped when the door behind him clicked shut, then he cleared his throat and walked over to the enormous desk. Stowing the Maurauder's Map – with a whispered "_Mischief Managed!_" - he laid nervous eyes on the portraits of Professors Dumbledore and Snape. Neither of them seemed to have noticed Albus come in at all. In fact, they both looked like they were asleep.

Feeling rather silly, Albus cleared his throat again, hoping that it might attract the former Headmaster's attention.

"Professor Dumbledore?" he said, as loudly as he dared. "I-I wanted to talk to you about something". No response. Perhaps the old man really was asleep. Maybe Albus should come back another time.

Then, Professor Dumbledore's eyes snapped open and his bright blue gaze found the twelve-year-old boy in front of him.

"Oh, hello again. What mischief has caused you to be summoned here this time?" Professor Dumbledore said with a crinkly smile. It took a few seconds for Albus to catch on that the old professor was joking with him.

"Oh, nothing, Professor. I-I just wanted to talk to you...about my dad...and about the War" Albus replied quietly. If possible, Professor Dumbledore's smile widened.

"Ah, yes. _Quite_ the brilliant student in many more ways than one, Harry was" Dumbledore said. "And, like yourself, never short of trouble to find himself caught up in. But I suppose that is one of Hogwarts' many occupational hazards, is it not?" Professor Dumbledore pondered. "So, Mr. Potter, what was it about your father that you would like to know?"

"Um...well, I was just wondering...my dad, he never really talks about the Second Wizarding War, and, well, I...um...I wanted to know why" Albus stammered, wiping his sweating palms quickly on his robes.

Well, it wasn't every day that you talked to one of the greatest, most powerful and influential wizards of all time. Then again, it wasn't every day that you were _named_ after one of them either. Professor Dumbledore was silent for a few moments, as though he was thinking deeply.

"One of the things I admire most about your father is his ability to love and to forgive" Professor Dumbledore eventually began. "You see, your father had a very rare gift – one, many still believe, he inherited from his mother Lily. He saw good in people where they did not see it themselves, even in those people he should, naturally, have hated"

Professor Dumbledore gave him a knowing look. Albus realised he was talking about Draco Malfoy. It was true. Instead of hating Scorpius' father for what he had done – for the things he had been involved in – he had agreed to call a truce and move on. Now, they were what you could say friends were.

"He said once that you were – and still are – one of his biggest inspirations. He said you helped him a lot when the War was going on. That's why he named me after you" Albus replied.

"I'm very flattered" Professor Dumbledore said. "Though I really am not the wisest wizard, young Albus. Quite a few times I left your father in the dark....and I saw how much that aggravated him, though I may not have shown it myself. But, I suppose, that is the mark of a great wizard - when you are given no directions, you are still able to find your way." Dumbledore sighed again – that strangely sad sigh – and looked down his very crooked nose at the tips of his interlaced fingers.

"I think you'd best be off to your Common Room, Mr. Potter" Professor Dumbledore suddenly announced. "Professor McGonagall will be back from her meeting very soon and it is unwise to linger in her office out of bounds, do you not think? But, if you wish to talk to me again – and I assume you will, for you are the sort of inquisitive boy I always saw your father as – you know where to find me" Dumbledore tipped his silver tasselled cap in Albus' direction.

"Okay, then...thanks, for, you know, agreeing to talk to me" Albus said, feeling much less nervous now than he had been before.

"The pleasure is all mine" Professor Dumbledore smiled. And, thanking him timidly once more, Albus turned on his heel and left the office.

When Albus had left, Professor Dumbledore turned to the portrait next to him. The occupant seemed to be sleeping, but Albus Dumbledore was not fooled.

"Quite the charming young boy, isn't he, Severus?" asked Dumbledore loudly. "He is very much like Harry, don't you think?"

No response.

Professor Dumbledore sighed and twiddled his thumbs absent-mindedly. It seemed that the Potions Master was not up to cooperating with him today. "Very well, Severus, very well...but I had assumed that you, of all people, would wish to get to know the boy? It is, after all, your name with which he has been gifted as well as mine" There was still no response from the hook-nosed man in the portrait.

Deciding that he'd better not press things too far, Professor Dumbledore sat back in his own portrait, deep in thought. He was especially glad that Harry had found what he had always wanted – a proper family. But on the other hand, he was jealous too. Yes, Albus Dumbledore was jealous, jealous of having such a loving, caring family. It was at times like these that he wished he had spent more time with his brother and sister, before...well, when times were not so Dark. He regretted it deeply, and felt sorry for old Aberforth, having to fill the role that Albus had left empty, and take care of Ariana. Oh, how he missed them now!

Later, much later, when the aged yet brilliant Headmaster had eventually fallen asleep did Severus Snape stir.

"I don't deserve it" He said, to no one in particular.

***

**_A/N: Weeelllll....what d'you think? I decided not to include Al and Rose's detention with Professor Winters because I wanted to focus more on the conversations Al has with Dumbledore and Snape. I tried to be as in-character as I could when writing them and I hope Snape in particular isn't too OOC - I'm not used to writing post-War characters so I've just gone with what I think Snape would act like once the War was over. _**

**_A few questions, now then, to get you thinking:_**

**_1) Why does Gloria Winters punish Albus and Rose so extremely for being late (very late, in fact, but that's not the point) to class, and why is she deliberately refusing to believe them when they say they've been with McGonagall? Hint: who was the eye-witness testimony who freed the Malfoys?_**

**_2) Where does the title of the chapter, Lion, Phoenix and Doe, come from?_**

**_3) And, finally, why do you think Draco told Scorpius how to use the Room of Requirement? (see chapter nine, Gloria Winter's Wrongdoings)_**

**_Until next time, HPfangirl4life xxx_**


	11. The Power the Dark Lord Knows Not

**_A/N: Whew, sorry this chapter's a bit later than usual, I've been swamped with work! Anyhow, I don't feel that this is one of my best chapters to date but I hope you enjoy it all the same. _**

**_Also, my story _Family Ties: Left Holding the Baby _has been nominated for Favourite Long Multi-Chaptered Story in The Harry Potter Awards, which are run by Lady Arianne of Ambers Valley. If you would be so kind as to please please pretty please with a virtual cookie on top vote for me, I would be utmost gratefuly to you all faithful readers and reviewers. Now, on with the story!_**

_***_

_CHAPTER ELEVEN_

_The Power the Dark Lord _

_Knows Not_

Albus was in the changing rooms next to the Quidditch pitch, pulling on his robes after a two-hour practice that evening, when he heard the low gossip amongst the older students.

It had been two weeks since Esmeralda had accused Scorpius of bullying her – a total lie – but since then, her jeers and taunts had backed down a fair bit. She was no longer tripping Scorpius up in corridors, or deliberately banging into him in classrooms. She no longer called him such dreadful names. She even left remarks about his family to herself.

"Did you see the _Evening Prophet_ today?" one girl – he couldn't remember her name, but Albus was sure she was one of the Chasers on the team – said in a low voice to someone Albus couldn't see. They were hidden away from him, around the corner, nearer the showers.

"Yeah, I did. Front page as well...." replied one of the boys.

"It's horrible, isn't it?" another girl interjected.

"You'd think....that that kind of thing had stopped now, you know, what with You-Know-Who gone. Most of the Death Eater are still in Azkaban" the first girl spoke again, whom Albus now recognised as Melissa Sloper – one of the new members of the team.

"Yeah, but did you see who the Ministry reckon done it, though? I mean...who else could it be?" the boy answered. Albus' heart raced, and he leaned further in their direction, straining his ears as best as he could.

"I don't know, Melissa. My mum works in his department...Law Enforcement, that is...and she says he's a perfectly decent bloke. Works hard. Good boss. She said that you would almost think he never had all that horrible stuff in his past..." said the boy.

And Albus had to swallow convulsively when he realised who they must have been talking about. Hadn't Scorpius said that his father was Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement? But that meant...they were talking about _him_. Albus could hardly believe his ears. He didn't know what Draco Malfoy had done or was supposed to have done, but he could hardly mistake the tone in his teammates' voices. Whatever it was, it must be bad – and it was all over the front page of the _Evening Prophet_.

With a desperate madness, Albus tied his shoelaces quickly and didn't bother to fasten the front of his robes. Grabbing his Quidditch robes from the bench and abandoning all attempt to do _something_ with his permanently untidy hair, he marched from the room, his heart pounding. He _had_ to find out what it was that they had been talking about, and he _had_ to find out before Scorpius did. Or, even better, he had to find out before there would be any chance that Esmeralda had taken it upon herself to spread the story around.

When he reached the enormous double doors at the entrance of the castle, he almost ran into Professor McGonagall, who looked as if she was on the way to the Owlery; she had a letter clutched in one wrinkled hand.

"Be careful of where you're going, Mr. Potter" she sighed, though her tone was slightly pointed.

"Sorry, Professor. I just need to get somewhere – quickly" Albus huffed, stepping past her into the Entrance Hall. He needed to find Rose first and figure out what this was all about. Then he could find Scorpius. Racing up the staircase two steps at a time, he let his mind wander freely. What could have been so bad that Scorpius' father had been accused of? From what he'd overheard, it was something to do with the Death Eaters, and Albus knew that Scorpius' father was an ex-Death Eater.

_It's horrible, isn't it?_

The phrase echoed in Albus' mind. _What_ was so horrible?

"Albus! Have you seen...I mean, did you read....Slytherins.....?" It was Rose. White-faced apart from the alarmingly pink spots on her cheeks, she stared at him anxiously.

"You mean the _Evening Prophet_?" Albus replied. "No, I haven't. Do _you_ know what's going on?" Rose shook her head.

"It's all over the school...I've only heard bits of it...mostly from the Slytherins...Al, there's been an attack!" Rose exclaimed worriedly.

"What? _Where?_ But – aren't the Death Eaters supposed to be in Azkaban? Dad caught quite a few of them himself, he told me. You-you don't think there's been a breakout, do you?" Albus suddenly gasped, feeling as if he'd just swallowed an ice cube.

An Azkaban breakout was one of the worst things he could ever imagine happening. People like that, free on the streets of wizard Britain...he shuddered visibly at the thought.

"No, there hasn't been a breakout. That's why it's such headline news, probably. From what I heard, someone broke into a Muggle-born family's house this morning and-and _cursed _them!" Rose said unhappily.

Albus' eyes bulged in their sockets. An _attack_? These things never happened nowadays! You got the odd Muggle-baiting case, a home robbery, a threatening letter, but nothing as serious as a real attack. And to think, people thought the wizarding world was finally safe with Lord Voldemort gone!

"You're not serious?" he choked incredulously. But the severity of Rose's expression told him she _was_ serious – very serious.

"Yes, but that's not the worst part" Rose said. Albus groaned.

"What could be worse?" he replied.

"The Ministry think Scorpius' _dad_ is behind the attack" she said, in a strained voice.

***

By the following morning, most of the school was avidly discussing the Death Eater attack – and more importantly, the rumour that Scorpius' father was behind it. Scorpius himself was having to endure dirty looks, acidic glares, and whispered comments from wherever he went from the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws; and celebratory whoops and words of praise from the Slytherins, who were safe now in the fact that the Malfoys weren't 'blood traitors' at all. To cap it off, Professor Winters was now greeting Scorpius with a nasty, knowing smirk every time their paths crossed, and once, on their way to Charms, Albus could have sworn he'd heard her hiss gleefully, "Justice at last".

And, to make matters even worse, that night's _Evening Prophet_ announced that Mr. Malfoy had been arrested and suspended from work for a fortnight without pay _'whilst investigations into the matter are being undertaken'_.

"This isn't fair. So what if Scorpius' dad used to be a Death Eater? That was twenty years ago. _Twenty years!_ Where's the democracy in that? There's no solid proof he did anything at all!" Rose raged in the Common Room that evening, throwing aside _The Novice Potioneer_ and venting her feelings by aiming a hefty kick at the overstuffed armchair nearby.

"You know what?" said Albus pensively from where he sat, cross-legged, in front of the fire trying to patch up his rather battered copy of _Hogwarts: A Modern History_ (Roxanne's cat, Maisy, had got to it in the middle of the night) with Spellotape, "Molly's right. I think you _do_ have a thing for Scorpius". He grinned innocently, and then ducked when Rose threw _The Novice Potioneer _at his head.

"Albus! This is a really serious matter! If he's found guilty, he'll lose his job....and he'll end up in Azkaban!" she wailed furiously. But she couldn't hide the fact that her cheeks were salmon pink, and not from the heat of the fire, either.

***

"Oh, _bum_!" Molly cursed loudly, kicking the bench and sucking on her thumb madly. Albus, Molly, Rose and Scorpius were in Potions and were supposed to be brewing a Sleeping Draught. Molly had cut her thumb whilst trying to shred willow leaves and was now nursing her injured hand mournfully.

"At least your dad's not in Ministry custody" Scorpius muttered sadly, looking at the floor. Albus sighed.

Ever since the news had got out that Mr. Malfoy had been arrested, he had been even more withdrawn and shy than he usually was. Nevertheless, the people closest to him who believed his father to be innocent had offered their ongoing support.

Lysander Scamander, whom they had bumped into coming out of the greenhouses one day, told Scorpius that he strongly believed his father to be innocent and that the Wrackspurt that had befuddled the members of the Wizengamot would leave and they would realised that they had made a mistake. Scorpius took this rather strange advice as a bizarre source of comfort and felt a little better after that.

"Come on, Scorpius" Rose said soothingly, taking his own willow leaves from him and shredding them herself before plopping them into his cauldron, "Kingsley – the Minister for Magic – and my parents and Uncle Harry all know that he's innocent. He'll get out, don't you worry" She smiled, now turning up the heat under his cauldron and adding a few splashes of Venomous Tentacula juice.

"Thanks" Scorpius replied quietly, a little of the colour returning to his pale face.

Albus and Molly caught each other's gaze and exchanged a knowing look; Albus had a mad desire to laugh. Somehow, the idea of Scorpius having a little crush on his cousin wasn't as horrible as he'd previously imagined. It was...sweet. And Rose and Scorpius _were_ very alike. _I don't suppose Uncle Ron would have quite the same approach_ Albus thought, smiling to himself as he stirred the now blue-black potion in his cauldron.

At the end of the lesson, Professor Slughorn called Scorpius over to his desk. To be polite, Albus, Rose and Molly waited outside the classroom door until he was ready.

"D'you really think Scorpius' dad's going to get released?" Molly asked in a low voice.

"Yes" Rose said confidently. "If they follow their own laws, then there's no reason for them to find him guilty if there's evidence showing that he's innocent – which I strongly believe he _is_. You heard Scorpius; the War had a really bad effect on his dad. Why would he go back to that kind of thing if it affected him so badly?" She explained.

"True" Albus had to agree.

Just then, Scorpius emerged, looking a little happier than he had done for several days. On their way to the Great Hall for lunch, Scorpius told them what Professor Slughorn had said.

"He just said that whatever happens – not that anything _does_ happen, I hope it doesn't – the school would support me. That was it really, but it was nice of him all the same. I think Professor McGonagall put him up to it though, she must've had a word with him" he explained.

"So...have you heard from your mum or anyone about all of this?" Albus asked. "I mean, she must have written to you....?" Scorpius nodded.

"Yeah, she's keeping me updated on- on how things are going. She says that half the Ministry's against dad at the moment, even though the people in his department insist he's done nothing wrong. Your dad's name came up, though, Albus – apparently there was a lot of, er, _controversy_ about the fact that your dad defended mine in a press conference a few days ago" Scorpius said.

A press conference? Albus hadn't heard anything about it. At the very least he'd thought his parents would write...but, he supposed, the whole mess was a bit of a struggle for the Ministry itself, and maybe they hadn't had time. But still...

"Hang on, I've just thought of something!" Rose exclaimed, stopping in her tracks. "The newspaper article – I got it off Lysander after he finished doing the crossword puzzles – said that your dad was arrested after an anonymous tip off, right? The Ministry _must_ have heard the accusation from somewhere; they didn't just decide to arrest someone with no criminal record for twenty years over something they most probably didn't even do!"

"What are you saying?" Scorpius asked, as confused as Molly seemed to be. Only Albus thought he knew where Rose's train of thought was going.

"I'm saying, whoever sent the anonymous tip off to the Ministry was obviously trying to set your dad _up_!" she exclaimed, waving her arms around wildly.

"I mean, think about it." She carried on, now in full swing, "An attack on Muggle-borns happens, and an anonymous tip off is sent to the Ministry telling them that the person who did it is someone who has no criminal record, no recent record of any kind of anti-Muggle attacks or protests, and no appearance whatsoever of being a Pureblood supremacist. Isn't that just a bit odd to you? Why bother telling the Ministry that the person who did it is one of the least likely people do actually have done it?"

"I'm confused" Molly muttered. Rose gave her one of her rare, manic glares – the look that Albus had come to associate with impatience when someone did not understand a point she was making.

"The point _is_" Rose said with a pointed look at Molly, "that someone has framed Scorpius' dad for this. I can't believe I never noticed it before! Doesn't anyone else see it?" She looked around at the three of them, her eyes wide. Her eyes bulged.

"I need to go to the library. You lot go on and get some lunch. I'll catch up with you in a little while" Rose said quickly, and rushed off in the opposite direction.

Albus' insides, meanwhile, were boiling with rage. He knew exactly who would have framed Scorpius' father for this. Gloria Winters.

***

"But I _still_ don't understand!" moaned Scorpius, putting his head in his hands. He had received a letter from his mother that evening, telling him that his father was expected to attend full criminal trial in three weeks – on October thirty-first, Halloween. She wasn't even allowed to see him until then in case of possible influence or corruption. Albus thought that this was completely unfair. Why should a wife be banned from seeing her husband _at all_?

"Why _my family?_ Why _me_? Yes, Winters is angry because my family were Death Eaters and they didn't go to Azkaban. But there are more than just my family who were released, aren't there? And anyway, _loads_ of people are angry about them getting released; it's just the way things are. But why – if she _did_ frame my dad – did she just target _my_ family? Why not any other Death Eaters?" Scorpius explained.

"And-and this trial!" Rose said, exasperated. "It's like they've already decided he's guilty!" Scorpius moaned again.

"Don't say that, don't say that!" he replied, shaking his head. But his eyes said it all. He was worried. He didn't want his dad to go to Azkaban for something he did not do. Albus himself was forcibly reminded of Sirius Black, his father's godfather and one of James' namesakes. He had endured twelve years in the ominous wizarding prison for something he hadn't done, and that alone had changed him completely. He hadn't been the same person, Albus' father had said, when he'd finally broken out of the Dementor-guarded gaol. Was Scorpius' father destined for the same fate?

"But don't you see?" Molly said, an excitement in her dark brown eyes that did not match the severity of the mood. "If we can prove Winters framed your dad – and we have a lot of evidence to back ourselves up – then Professor McGonagall will _have_ to believe us if we go to her and say she's got it in for you!"

"Yes, but we don't know _why_" Albus pressed. "We only know that, for some reason, she's trying to do in the Malfoys. We know that much. But we don't know _why_ she's acting like this. I mean, Scorpius, you said it yourself – why just target them when there are plenty more _actual _Pro-Voldemort activists in the world she could have ago at instead of cleared, respected ex-Death Eaters who have had no connection to Dark activity whatsoever in the last two decades!"

Rose sat back thoughtfully, leaning her back against the trunk of the ash tree they were sitting under. It was a warm day for early October, and for once there had been no rain. Molly sucked on the end of her quill. Scorpius continued to stare down at the grass, playing with random strands of it, trying to occupy his mind elsewhere. It fell silent between the four friends for a while, each lost in his or her own thoughts. _How can we prove Scorpius' dad's been framed, though?_ Thought Albus. _Unless we investigate Winters herself, we've got no proof except assumptions. And those probably will be discounted anyway because we don't like her. It'll be like corrupt evidence in a Muggle crime case, those programs that Uncle Percy likes to watch. Who'll believe _us_, anyway? We're just a bunch of twelve year olds_.

Albus huffed. He wasn't getting any answers, just more and more questions. He thought he knew how his own father must have felt when no one would answer _his_ questions when he asked about his past, his family. Only this was Scorpius' past, and Scorpius' family, that was the centre of all the worry. If his dad went to prison, then everything Mr. Malfoy had worked so hard for – regaining respect, dignity, trust – will have gone to waste. And that didn't seem fair. Not fair at all. Could there be any other way they could possibly help?

And Albus remembered something his Uncle Bill had once told him, when Albus had asked how he'd got the scars that were a permanent web etched onto his face. _Al, sometimes you've got to stand up for what you believe in. These scars? They're nothing compared to what could have happened if I hadn't been part of the fight that gave me them. It's a sacrifice, in a way, to stop more people getting hurt. You've got to make sure the Light side wins over the Dark, and I'm not just talking about blood status here. You've got to make sure that justice and equality and fairness come before anything else_. _Make sure you remember that_.

Justice and fairness. Some things are easier said than done. But hadn't it worked for his parents, his aunts and uncles? Yes, Uncle George only had one ear. Yes, Uncle Bill was badly scarred. Yes, Aunt Hermione still got flu every winter because of a curse used against her which damaged her lungs and airways. But wasn't it all worth it – no, that was the wrong word – wasn't it something minor compared to all the hundreds of thousands of people that _could_ have lost their lives had they not stood and fought? And, suddenly, Albus knew what he – _they_ – had to do.

"Scorpius?" he said. He looked up at Albus. "Did you plan on going to your dad's trial yourself?"

"Um...no. I don't think he'd want me there, actually. You know, to see something like that" Scorpius said. There was a hint of sadness in his voice. Was he thinking the same as Albus?

"Would you be willing to drink Veritaserum?" Albus asked. Scorpius, Molly and Rose looked confused.

"What do you mean?" Molly said. Albus smiled brightly.

"The only way we can prove Scorpius' dad is innocent – _and_ that Gloria Winters is trying to do him in – is if we tell them ourselves" Albus explained. "It's all about standing up for what you believe in, isn't it? I mean, the War ended twenty years ago. People are still being prejudiced about family and blood and whatever else, but Scorpius' dad is a perfect example of someone whose overcome that and made better of themselves. Isn't that the whole point of moving on? That we give people a chance?"

Albus looked around at his three friends. Scorpius' eyes were alight with hope. Dare Albus suggest his idea?

"I say that we – all of us – witness for Scorpius' dad at the trial and prove he's innocent. It's all about justice and fairness, right? But the Wizengamot are being _unfair_ if they don't listen to anyone who says he's not guilty" Albus suggested. Rose and Molly's mouths dropped open. Scorpius' smile was so big it split his face in half.

"Really? You'd do that for me? For my dad?" Scorpius gasped.

"Not just your dad. For anyone else who was accused of something they didn't do. It's only fair. We're friends, aren't we? That's what friends do. They look out for each other" Albus said simply.

"Are you sure? I mean, d'you think they'll let us, Al?" Rose said.

"They'll have to, won't they? We can talk to McGonagall, she'll get us out of lessons for the day. My dad's probably going to the trial himself to testify anyway, and I bet you Gloria Winters will be there too. So what do you say?" Albus looked at his friends. It was a huge thing to do – but he was sure it would be worth it.

"Okay" Molly said.

"Dad probably won't like that I'm defending a Malfoy, but this is important. I'll do it!" Rose replied.

"Thanks" Scorpius said, the smile unmoving from his pale face. "Dad will be – um – _surprised_. And pleased, I hope. Thanks."

The grey clouds overhead broke apart, and the sun shone brightly, glittering off the surface of the Black Lake, illuminating the trees and grounds. Scorpius clearly adored his father, just as Albus adored his own father. If he were in the same position, he'd want to help, too. It was the right thing to do.

What was it that Albus' dad had once told him? _In the end, it doesn't really come down to bravery and chivalry and all that. What the Dark side, what the bad people really need, is love, because it's something they can't understand. Voldemort himself didn't understand what it meant to love someone, romantically or otherwise, and that was his biggest weakness, Professor Dumbledore told me when I wasn't much older than you. It all comes down to love, because it's the one thing people like Voldemort don't know enough about. _

_**A/N: Well, did you like it? Hate it? Love it? On the fence about it? Whatever, JUST REVIEW IT OR A KITTEN WILL DIE! I'm joking, no kittens will die or be harmed in any way at all. But please review. Your feedback is very important, and I want to know what I'm doing right/wrong with this story! Not one of my best plotlines, I'll admit, but I'm doing my best with it. Book four is where it really kicks off, but I won't say no more here. **_

_**HPfangirl4life xxx**_


	12. Distractions

_**A/N: Hey there! I know I've dropped the ball update-wise recently (you can say that again!) but here, much later than originally planned, is chapter twelve for you to devour with your ever-eager fanfiction-loving eyes and brain. Enjoy!**_

**_PS. Don't forget to vote for my story, Family Ties: Left Holding the Baby, in the Favourite Long Multi-Chaptered Story in The Harry Potter Awards hosted by Lady Arianne of Ambers Valley. It would make my day! :)_**

_***_

_CHAPTER TWELVE_

_Distractions_

But Albus' – indeed, everyone's – attention was diverted from the trial in the coming week as the Quidditch season was picking up and the teams were fighting for the best practising slots. In the opening game of the season, the first week of November, last years' Quidditch Cup winners Gryffindor would play second-place Hufflepuff. If Hufflepuff won, they would move to first place and Gryffindor would drop to third place, leaving Slytherin in second place. Needless to say, despite his worries and fears, Albus put most of his energy (and to Rose's displeasure, his time) into practising.

The team were coming along nicely. The newcomers – Melissa Sloper, Thomas Blake and a surprising addition in Phoebe Peakes, a small but sweet second year with blond curls and a cheerful spirit – were fitting in well and performing to the standard of the current players. Albus, now a Seeker for the team for the second year, was glad that he had got in some practice over the summer; it was certainly paying off, and Madam Hooch, who had come to watch the Gryffindors play during a practice, said that the only person she had ever seen who was a better flier than him was his father, and only by the slightest of margins. She awarded him ten points for Gryffindor for his 'superb talent and excellent Quidditch genetics' and Albus was so pleased he worked even harder from then on.

Despite these distractions – for both Albus and Scorpius, being Seekers on their respective teams – it was hard to forget about the upcoming trial altogether. Rose and Molly had been researching past cases in the library archives, trying to work out what to expect.

Albus didn't know much about criminal trials and how they were run, but his father – who had once had to attend a hearing for doing accidental magic – said it was the most intimidating thing you could experience. This did not help qualm Albus' worries.

Rose had also come across some newspaper articles on past criminal trials – some of them quite nasty – including the trials of the Death Eaters after the Second Wizarding War. When Scorpius came over to them after Slytherin Quidditch practice, she quickly stuffed the newspapers into her bag; most of the articles she had found had something or other to do with his family, in particular a rather incriminating article which blared the headline; DEATH EATER COUPLE PLEAD GUILTY TO TORTURE CONVICTIONS, and underneath was a picture of Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband Rodolphus.

Albus knew that Bellatrix had been killed by his grandmother at the Battle of Hogwarts, but Rodolphus was still alive in Azkaban, where he had been for the past twenty years. Hopefully he would stay there for another twenty years, or even more with luck. He hated to think of those kinds of people, loose on the streets, terrorising Muggles and Muggle-born wizards....an icy shiver flashed down his spine, which he disguised by stretching.

***

As time passed on, the four of them began formulating their plan to, firstly, get Professor McGonagall to agree to let them witness at the trial, and secondly, to decide what their testimony was going to be. It was hard – what information would the Wizengamot take as bias and which would they believe would be actual evidence? Scorpius had agreed to tell them what Professor Winters had said to him about his family as proof that she was targeting them personally. If they knew of her personal vendetta against the Malfoys, they might discount any evidence against Scorpius' father given by her. At least, that's what the four friends were _hoping_ would happen. Making sure it _did_ happen was another matter.

To add to their burden, their workload increased as they reached mid-October, and the criminal trial was coming closer and closer. Having a Quidditch game the very next week made Albus and Scorpius very nervous and very busy indeed; in between writing weekly essays for Transfiguration, researching the properties of Acromantula venom for Professor Longbottom, Quidditch practice and researching criminal trials, time was tight and patience was running low. Scorpius' father had been refused release from Ministry custody despite his wife's pleas, and Scorpius said that her letters to him were becoming increasingly anxious and more and more strung out. This did not bode well for Scorpius' self-confidence or mood, and was becoming reclusive; he spent most of his time in the library with an ever-optimistic Rose.

"Logically, there should be no case against your dad in the first place, if we can prove that Winters' is biased and get her evidence discounted. There will be no reason to think your father's guilty, not if they stick to their own laws" she explained to him, smiling brightly. "It'll be okay, you know" she added, seeing his sceptical expression.

Not for the first time, Albus wondered if Rose and Scorpius were 'just friends'.

***

It was the following Saturday in the second week of October, and the weather was suprisingly warm; the sun was shimmering on the surface of the Black Lake and most students were outside, enjoying the autumnal sunshine. Most students, that is, with the exception of four second years.

Rose was barely breathing when they reached the enormous statue of the golden griffin that guarded Professor McGonagall's office. Molly was uncharacteristically grave and Scorpius the colour of chalk. Albus himself was rather nervous.

"Sherbet lemon!" Rose said to the griffin, as confidently as she could.

The creature nodded once, before springing aside to reveal an upward-spiralling flight of staircase. They jumped onto it, each of their hearts in their mouths. Would Professor McGonagall let them go to the trial? Could she register them as official witnesses? Would they even be allowed – being underage, and all? None of them knew much about criminal trial protocol.

Perhaps Professor McGonagall would fill them in, if she agreed that they could testify. And then there was the matter of whether the Wizengamot would allow them to witness – they might think that they were too young. Then again, things had changed since Kinglsey Shacklebolt had become Minister for Magic two decades ago. He kept being re-elected as Minister every term because of his attitude towards fairness and equality in his policies.

Rose knocked on the heavy door to Professor McGonagall's office.

"Enter!" the Headmistress called from the other side of the door. Molly leaned forward and timidly pushed the door open.

Professor McGonagall was sitting in the high-backed, throne like chair behind the enormous desk that dominated the far end of the circular room. Her spectacles were balancing on the tip of her nose as she marked a large stack of essays. She looked up when the four of them entered and pushed her glasses further up her nose. Her eyes widened when she recognised them.

"Is there anything the matter?" Professor McGonagall asked, putting her quill down and setting the stack of essays aside.

"Er...no, Professor. We've come to ask your permission for something" Rose explained.

"Oh? And what might that be, Miss Weasley?" Professor McGonagall replied. She looked at the four of them in turn.

"I want to stop my dad from going to Azkaban for something he didn't do" Scorpius interjected suddenly, but nervously, stepping forward.

"And we want to help him do that" added Molly confidently. "We want to register as recognised witnesses".

Professor McGonagall stared at them, her glasses sliding down to the very tip of her nose. She didn't bother to push them back up to their proper place.

"You realise that-that is a very serious matter...you are underage....a criminal trial..." McGonagall gasped, not quite being able to take it all in.

"Please, professor" Scorpius begged. "I don't want my dad to go to prison. And I know the risks."

There was so much sincerity in his voice that no one said anything for a few moments. Then Professor McGonagall finally removed her square spectacles and wiped them on the hem of her robes before replacing them.

"I will have to file some forms, you will have to sign a witnesses' contract. Since you are underage, you will not be required to take Veritaserum, which in some cases may dampen your chances of convincing the Wizengamot of your case. You are also required to submit your wands for examination as proof of identity" Professor McGonagall explained.

"So that's a yes?" Scorpius asked hopefully.

"If you are serious about this, and you are perfectly sure that this is what you do want to do, then I have no reason not to allow you to testify in your father's defence at the Ministry" Professor McGonagall said simply. "I am sure he will much appreciate the sentiment".

Scorpius nodded gratefully. "Thanks, professor".

"I will need you to sign the witness for defence forms this afternoon as I need to file them to the Ministry before five o'clock this evening, the earlier the better is what the Wizengamot prefer. Now, I will need to see you, therefore, at four o'clock sharp this afternoon. I have a meeting with the board of governors until then" the Headmistress told them. "Is that all you needed?"

They nodded.

***

The following week was so full to bursting point with Quidditch practice and homework that none of them had time to put together their case for the trial. Once the forms had been sent to the Wizengamot, they had to wait confirmation that they were actually _allowed_ to testify and then the real waiting could begin.

And Scorpius did not deal well with waiting.

"I just want this to be over with" he grumbled on various occasions, becoming more and more strung out each time. Albus knew how he must feel. Having something as serious as the possibility of one of your parents going to prison hanging over your head must be awful. He hoped that he personally would never have to deal with such a thing.

_**A/N: Boo! Well, how did you enjoy that one then? Good? Bad? Hate it? Love it? On the fence about it? Whatever you think, JUST REVIEW IT! If you don't, you will die a very painful death. A very painful, virtual death. You have been warned. **_

_**Anyhoo, I know this chappie is a bit on the short side and not much is really going on here, but just you wait - I have more than a few surprises up my sleeve! I was thinking, how can I make someone who is evil and dark even more evil and more dark than they already are? And so another plotline was born.....but you'll have to keep reading to find out what it is! Muahaha! **_

_***ahem* Back to the point, I have just realised that I've done something freaky deaky with the story. The chapter containing Draco's trial rather awesomely falls into place as being chapter thirteen...unlucky for some. Foreshadowing much? :)**_

_**Until next time,**_

_**HPfangirl4life xxx**_


	13. The Trial

_**A/N: FINALLY! Here's chapter 13 after weeks (months) of agonising over plot and development and whether or not to leave bits in or out. It's shorter than I expected and probably a bit rushed, but I hope you lot like it all the same. Enjoy!**_

_CHAPTER THIRTEEN_

_The Trial_

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Albus' father asked him for the millionth time that week. His expression was full of concern.

"_Yes_, dad" Albus replied. "I _want_ to do this. Scorpius is my friend, and his dad is in trouble. We're the only ones who can clear his name". Harry, however, remained uncharacteristically unconvinced. He had to testify too, being one of Mr. Malfoy's employees at the Ministry of Magic. Albus could tell his father was worried – and looked edgy.

"If you're sure" Harry said.

"Dad, don't worry" Albus said. "It'll be fine".

But Albus could not control his own nerves himself. Suddenly, what he was about to do seemed very daunting and frightening. How could he go into a room of imposing people he didn't know, to give information he wasn't even entirely sure he could prove was true? Then he thought of Scorpius, and how he would feel if his father ended up going to Azkaban, and he forced himself to swallow back the nerves.

He tried to imagine the situation in reverse. If it was _his_ father's life – literally – at stake, would he want his friends to help him?

Yes, he would.

They were standing, along with Rose and her parents, in the small confined waiting area outside Courtroom Nine. The trial had already begun; Scorpius was inside with his mother. Because the room that they were in was magically soundproofed and out of sight, it was impossible for any of them to know how things were going. Would they really sentence someone who was innocent to life in Azkaban just because of their past history with Death Eater activity? It was plain to anyone that Scorpius' father was not who he once was, even to Albus, who barely knew him.

Then something else came to him, and he was reminded of his father's godfather, Sirius Black, who had spent twelve years in Azkaban for something he hadn't done; unable to prove it wasn't him, he had been sentenced to life imprisonment, and the whole world thought he was murderer...It didn't seem fair. But Sirius had not had any witnesses to disprove the conviction; Scorpius' father had three. Albus willed himself not to be nervous. He didn't want to mess this up, for Scorpius' sake.

A small wizard with thinning hair, amethyst robes and a bright brass monocle came into the room.

"Harry Potter? The court will hear your testimony now" the wizard said importantly.

"Good luck" Albus whispered to his father as he followed the wizard through the door.

Now Albus and Rose were alone in the holding room, and the fear and nerves returned with full force.

"Why did I ever agree to this?" Rose moaned quietly as she began pacing up and down the small room.

"To help Scorpius. You know what it will do to him if his dad's put in jail, they're really close" Albus answered.

"It was a rhetorical question" Rose snapped at him. Albus was taken aback – then Rose's expression softened.

"Sorry, Al. I'm just really nervous!" Rose apologized.

"So am I" he replied. If he could see his own reflection, he knew he would be looking rather pale round about now. "D'you really think we can pull this off?"

Rose nodded with all the confidence she could muster, though her face was distinctly white behind the rosy cheeks. In fact, she looked exactly how Albus felt. He seriously hoped that they could pull this off. They just needed to be confident. Albus stood up a little straighter and forced himself to not be nervous. It was easier said than done, but he was determined to make this go well. He might only be twelve years old, but he wasn't placed in Gryffindor for nothing.

Albus only noticed then that there was a clock on the wall, and that it was ticking rather loudly and _slowly_ too, much slower than a normal clock. Or was it just his mind, playing up with nerves? He watched the second hand tick slowly past each of the numbers, biting the inside of his cheek to try and control himself.

How much longer now would they have to wait before being called in? How long would it take for the Wizengamot to hear his father's testimony? What if they went through it afterward? Being an adult, Albus knew his father would have to take Veritaserum to verify that he was telling the truth.

Time seemed to pass even more slowly.

How much longer would this take?

Then the door opened again and the wizard with the monocle returned. "The court will hear you now, Miss Weasley" he said to Rose.

Albus' insides squirmed with nervousness.

"Good luck" he whispered to her as she left with the wizard.

It wouldn't be long now. Albus knew that the first time his father had appeared in front of the Wizengamot, he had been the one sitting in the chain-bound chair in the middle of the room whilst being stared at by a room full of people who didn't like him very much. He had been here many times since then, witnessing in cases against Dark Wizards and various other criminals, and he'd always said it was just as daunting. This did not help.

Albus knew that all he had to do was tell the truth and make sure he could prove that Gloria Winters had framed Draco Malfoy.

How exactly he was going to do that, he suddenly had no idea.

_Think_ his brain told him. _What do you know about Winters?_

She's a prejudiced bitch.

_You can't say that in front of the Wizengamot, stupid. _

Fine. She upset my friend by insulting his family.

_Better_.

She says the Malfoys deserve to die for what they did, which proves she has a pretty big grudge against them.

_Good._

She's tried to frame Mr. Malfoy once before and he almost lost his job. She's been campaigning against them for years.

_Excellent!_

Great, now I'm talking to myself. I must be really nervous.

Albus shook his head to rid his mind of his inner monologue. He had some idea of what to do now, at least. If only he was as brave as his father. Why oh why did he let the Sorting Hat put him in Gryffindor? He would have done better in Hufflepuff. Nobody expected you to be brave when you were in Hufflepuff. Gryffindor was another matter.

The door opened for the third time. It was the wizard with the monocle again. Albus held his breath and tried very hard not to keel over as he waited for the wizard to say the words Albus knew he would say.

"Mr. Potter, we're ready for you now" the wizard said. Albus must have looked nervous, because the wizard gave him an encouraging smile. "There's no need to look so worried, now; things are going well, the Wizengamot are in your friend's father's favour" the wizard said kindly. Albus nodded stiffly. _Here it goes _he thought. He followed the wizard out the door. _This is for my best friend. _

"The Wizengamot have made their decision" the slow, deep voice of Kinglsey Shacklebolt, the Minister for Magic, echoed off the cold courtroom walls.

Albus' heart was pounding in his chest so frantically that it hurt. This was the moment of truth; now he would find out if his efforts had been in vain or in victory. He was afraid for Scorpius' sake. He glanced towards him now, sitting in between his parents on the right hand side of the room on one of the long, high benches where the members of the jury sat.

It hadn't been too difficult after all. Albus hadn't had to say much, and what he did say, the Wizengamot were very interested in. He'd watched with glee as Gloria Winters become more and more anxious with every word Albus said. He had said everything Rose and Scorpius had told him to say.

He hadn't needed to provide much evidence, as they had extracted memories – forcefully, and with powerful magic – from Winters in a way that she couldn't have tampered with them before handing them over.

As his granddad liked to say, it was in the bag. Or at least, Albus hoped it was.

"After much deliberation, it was clear to myself and to the members of this jury whether or not the accused was guilty of these crimes" Kinglsey went on. Albus glanced to his right again, where all three Malfoys looked like they'd seen a ghost, or at the very least just been given very bad news.

He didn't blame them.

If this had been his father, his family, he would probably be on the floor in a dead faint right now. He admired their ability to keep upright when they must have been extremely nervous, no one more so than Draco Malfoy himself. He found he had a newly-discovered level of respect for the man, despite the stories Uncle Ron had told him.

It was as if everyone in the room had held their breath as they waited for Kingsley to give the verdict. Albus had the inexplicable thought that he was stalling on purpose. Was this a good thing, or a bad thing? Albus couldn't decide.

"The Wizengamot have decided that the accused...is not guilty" Kinglsey announced.

_**A/N: Yes, I know, I KNOW! I left out the entire trial itself. I just couldn't get it to come out right on the page when I was writing it even though I knew how I wanted it to go. And as for the result, well...I couldn't send poor Draco to Azkaban, now, could I? As well as being my favourite character in both the original and my own series, it's also crucial to the plot *wink wink* that he wasn't sent to jail. You'll find out why soon enough. **_

**_Anyway, did you like it? You know the drill - love it? Hate it? On the fence about it? WHATEVER, JUST REVIEW IT! Review or I won't be as nice to Draco next time...muahahahaha_**

**_HPfangirl4life xx_**


	14. Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw

_**A/N: Hello again! After the (extremely) late update I gave you last time, I managed to finish this chapter in just under 2 weeks for you. You can now expect updates every 2-3 weeks. Sound okay? Of course it does. Here's chapter 14. Enjoy!**_

_CHAPTER FOURTEEN_

_Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw_

A loud sigh of relief was echoed on all sides of the room as Kingsley gave the verdict. Albus' hammering heart slowed in relief. They'd pulled it off. _They'd pulled it off!_ He could scarcely believe it. Together, they had overthrown the Wizengamot and Gloria Winters and stopped someone innocent from going to prison at the same time. Albus was rather pleased with himself. He felt his father relax next to him.

They were ushered out of the courtroom by an assistant in magenta robes and once outside, the atmosphere immediately unclenched and became neutral once more. The whole drama was over, and now things could go back to normal.

"I'm going to wait for Scorpius and Rose" Albus told his father. "I'll follow you outside, I know the way"

"Are you sure?" Harry asked him. Albus nodded. He left, melting into the crowd that was now swarming out of the courtroom. Albus craned his neck, looking for a head of blond or red hair he recognised. It was difficult; there were a lot of people around and he wasn't the tallest of twelve-year-olds. Finally, he saw them.

"Rose, Scorpius, over here!" he called to them, waving his hand high above his head so they'd spot him. They both came over to him at the same time. Scorpius looked happier than Albus had seen him for months.

"Thanks, you know, for helping me" Scorpius said shyly. "Dad's really relieved – he told me to tell you thanks, too".

"Don't mention it" Albus replied, beaming.

"Shall we go, then? I need to find mum and dad" Rose suggested, turning away from them in the direction of the exit into the main Atrium via a twisting flight of stairs. Albus and Scorpius followed suit, being careful to keep her in sight so as not to lose her in the crowds.

All around them, people were discussing the trial. Albus caught snippets of the conversation as he pushed through the crowds trying to follow Scorpius, who was ahead of him.

"That woman, she should be sacked..."

"Framing a Ministry official like that, regardless of their past, absolutely despicable..."

"...and he tries so hard, he's not had the best history, but to be accused..."

Albus smiled. At least other people knew that Mr. Malfoy was innocent, too. They'd managed to convince people that Scorpius' father wasn't the person he once was. That was something. He caught up Rose and Scorpius again as they made their way to the stairs; the crowd was thinning out here and there was more room to move.

"People are starting to like your dad now" Rose informed Scorpius as they climbed the stairs. "I mean, Kingsley's always been very supportive of everyone, but I think this trial really has them convinced he's not who they think he is!"

"You helped" Scorpius reminded them, grinning from ear to ear.

"What else were we going to do?" Albus asked, shrugging.

They were in the Atrium now, were there were even less people as officials at the trial returned to their offices to carry on with the day's work. Albus spotted his father standing next to the Fountain of Magical Brethren. Years ago, the statues atop the fountain used to be a witch, a wizard, a goblin, a centaur and a house-elf. When Kingsley Shacklebolt had become Minister for Magic, it had changed to become an enormous golden Thestral rearing up into the air, and a phoenix rising from the ashes at the winged horse's feet, similar to the Phoenix Memorial at Hogwarts. It was to commemorate the ones who sacrificed themselves in the Second Wizarding War, and to show how the wizarding world had moved from the days of Lord Voldemort.

"Where'd my parents go, anyway?" Scorpius suddenly said, turning around to scan the room for them.

"Maybe they got held back" Rose suggested.

"Ah no, they're over there, I can see them now" Scorpius said, pointing to their left; Albus turned and saw Scorpius' parents coming up the stairs they had just climbed themselves. Both of them looked extremely relieved.

Albus and Rose went to join Harry next to the fountain, whilst Scorpius went in the other direction to meet his parents, who were now talking to Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"D'you think people thought we were mad for testifying?" Rose asked Albus in a low voice so that his father couldn't hear them. Albus shrugged.

"Oh, I don't think they were" Harry cut in with a wink.

"You know, eavesdropping is not polite" Albus huffed. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Says the boy who used Extendable Ears to listen to my conversations" Harry challenged him.

"Touché" said Albus, grinning now.

Rose rolled her eyes.

"Come on, we'd better get outside before the _Daily Prophet_ gets here" Harry said. "Unless you want your picture on the front page?" he asked.

Albus and Rose shook their heads vigorously. Like his father, Albus detested the limelight and preferred it when the spotlight shone on someone else other than him. So they made their way towards the main exit out of the Ministry; via the two gigantic oak doors, similar to the ones at Hogwarts, that were the main entrance. To Muggles on the street outside, the entrance looked like nothing more than a disused factory entrance. Little did they know what was actually inside.

Outside, it was uncharacteristically quiet. Most people were at work or at home, was it wasn't quite time for the workers in the offices and buildings around them to be on their lunch breaks yet. Albus checked his watch; it was half past eleven.

"Are you sure Ron and Hermione are meeting you outside, Rose?" Harry asked her. Rose nodded.

"Knowing dad, they're probably running late because he can't park the car properly" Rose chuckled. Harry joined in.

"You're probably right" he said. Albus smiled, knowing that his uncle wasn't the best of drivers and often made mistakes, even after having a car for several years now.

Finally, Albus spotted his aunt and uncle heading up the street towards them. He gave them a wave, and Rose rushed to meet them.

"How did it go?" Aunt Hermione asked in a strained voice.

"He's been cleared of all charges. He's allowed to go back to work tomorrow" Harry answered.

"Oh, that's good! Astoria's been ever so worried, saying he's not been himself – stress, you know – I'm glad it worked out for him" Aunt Hermione said.

"So am I" Harry replied. "Right, we better get you to the station – the Hogwarts Express will be waiting to take you back to school" Harry said to Rose and Albus.

"Can we wait for Scorpius?" Albus asked.

"Of course" Harry smiled. Albus returned the gesture.

This would be the first time – apart from the journey from Hogwarts to get here – that Albus would be going to King's Cross alone with his father without Lily's constant chatter to annoy him, or James teasing him, or his mother's shrill shrieks of worry about making it there on time, and did everyone have everything they needed?

He wasn't being selfish; it was just nice to have his father alone, whereas he usually had to divide his time between the three of them, their mother, and his job. Albus often thought that when he married, he wouldn't have a job at all, so that he could be with his family all the time.

Whilst he waited for Scorpius and his parents to arrive, Albus distracted himself with what was waiting for him when he returned to school. It was a Thursday, and on Thursday afternoons he had double Transfiguration. They were practising turning mice into tea cosies, but so far Albus wasn't making much of a headway; whenever he tried, his mouse would simply swell in size and get a bit furrier, but was in no way a tea cosy.

Rose, however, had transformed her mouse on her second try and earned Gryffindor twenty points for it. It was at times like these that Albus wished he had some of Rose's brains.

Thursday was also Quidditch practice day (as was Monday, Tuesday and Saturday with their first match so close), and with the upcoming match against Ravenclaw, Amanda Braithwaite, the captain who was in her last year at Hogwarts, was making them train extremely hard. Though for Albus, Quidditch practice wasn't so much a gruelling training session than a chance to do what he loved most – flying. His Firebolt 3100 was as good as ever and he hoped it would help him secure the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor again this year.

Soon enough, Scorpius emerged with his parents and was talking animatedly. Often shy – mostly because of his family's dark past and the tendency to be considered someone prejudiced and uptight – it was strange for Scorpius to be this animated. Then again, Albus had never seen his friend around his parents outside school before.

"Are you going straight to King's Cross now, then?" Scorpius asked as he drew closer to them.

"Yeah, are you?" Albus replied.

"I think so – we parked quite a way away though, we might get there a bit after you do" Scorpius explained.

"Oh that's alright, the train isn't leaving until half past twelve anyway, we've got about an hour or so yet" Rose said.

"It'll be weird, just us three and the trolley lady on the train" Scorpius mused.

"At least it'll be quieter, it's always so noisy on the train at the start of the year" Rose pointed out with relief. "I'll be able to read in peace."

"You read too much" Albus said. Scorpius snickered. "And so do you, too!" he added to Scorpius, who feigned innocence.

"What's wrong with books?" he asked, mock-hurt. "I've got whole bookcases at home".

"Al is allergic to working" Rose joked.

"Very funny, _Rosie_" Albus retorted, and Rose cringed at the use of her childhood nickname. She only allowed her father to use it now.

"C'mon, Rose, Al, we better get going" Aunt Hermione called to them. Albus sighed.

"We'll see you in a bit" Rose said to Scorpius, and then the two of them turned and left to follow their parents across the street.

When they reached the car, they split up. Uncle Ron needed to go back into the office at the Ministry and Aunt Hermione needed to be in a meeting with the Interdepartmental Liaison Officer, Constantine Beller, so Harry and Ginny were taking Albus and Rose to King's Cross. The station wasn't far from the Ministry, but because of the traffic it took a good twenty minutes to get there, having to stop and start at traffic lights and wait for pedestrians and various commuters.

"It's at times like these that I wish I had a flying car" Harry sighed, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited for a red light to turn green. "Or that flying a broomstick in broad daylight in Muggle London wasn't illegal".

"But it _is_ illegal, so you'll just have to be patient, won't you?" Ginny warned him sternly. "We've got plenty of time, anyway". It was quiet in the car for a few moments.

Finally, the red light turned green and the car sped on, turning left and then right before the busy station of King's Cross appeared in front of them.

The car park was full, and they circled round again and again looking for an open space. Why were there so many people there? It wasn't rush hour. Eventually, a little red Honda pulled out to their left and they swung into the empty parking space before anyone else – there was a queue forming behind them – could claim it. Albus smiled as he peered into the familiar station. It looked just the same as it always did. And there, up a little to the left, was the bare stretch of wall between platforms nine and ten through which Albus knew hid Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

As they got out of the car and made their way towards the platform, Albus thought of how eerie it would be, being the only ones standing on Platform Nine and Three Quarters, waiting for the familiar scarlet steam train to pull in for them. Despite the car park being full, there were only very few people milling about, with a sleepy-looking guard manning one of the ticket booths.

In one way, the lack of people was a bad thing. It meant that crossing through the barrier between platforms nine and ten was going to be difficult, because there was more chance of them being spotted.

They hurried on up to the first level, up to platforms six, seven, eight, nine and ten. Albus barely had to look where he was going; he had made the trip so many times before with his various cousins that he knew the route off by heart. There were even less people here, and there wasn't even a warden in the ticket booth near platform six.

"How are we supposed to get past the barrier if the place is empty without anyone seeing us?" Albus whispered to Rose. She shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe it'll fill up soon, we've got enough time" she suggested.

Rose was right, though; some ten minutes later, a train pulled in at platform seven, on its way from Edinburgh. Albus stood up eagerly. When all the passengers got off the train, it would provide a good cover for them to slip through the barrier between platforms nine and ten.

As soon the passengers began to disembark, the four of them quickly made their way to the barrier. As a particularly large group of commuters passed them, Albus and Rose casually leaned against the wall between platforms nine and ten.

A second later, they were standing on platform nine and three quarters, the Hogwarts Express sitting on the tracks and billowing great plumes of steam across the station. Albus' parents appeared behind them moments later. The large clock on the wall next to the plastic sign that read 'Platform 9 ¾' told them it was ten to twelve. They had a fair bit of time to wait. Albus and Rose went to sit down on a bench nearby. Scorpius would be here with his parents soon.

"D'you think we'll get back in time for the feast?" Albus asked. Rose rolled her eyes.

"D'you ever stop thinking about food?" she reprimanded.

"Is that a yes?" Albus pressed.

"We'll probably be back in time, yes" Rose said eventually. Albus grinned.

He would hate to miss the glorious evening feast, and contrary to Rose's belief, not just for the food either. He enjoyed the whole atmosphere of eating in the Great Hall almost as much as he enjoyed the atmosphere whilst eating at The Burrow. In fact, it was almost the same, though less squashed and with less chance of a Dungbomb going off under your chair or a rogue firework exploding over the pudding or whatever prank of James and Fred's that had gone astray.

Albus was recalling one of his favourite moments when Roxy had embedded a brilliant orange and red Catherine wheel inside the Christmas cake one year, and when their grandmother had gone to cut it, the whole thing had exploded as the firework burst out of it, showering them all in icing and sultanas, when Rose jumped up.

"Scorpius is here" she said, pointing to where, surely enough, he was standing with his parents. They had clearly just come through the barrier and were deep in conversation. Rose and Albus waved him over and he met them eagerly by the bench.

"You okay?" Rose asked. Scorpius nodded.

"Dad's annoyed that they let Winters keep her job at Hogwarts, though" Scorpius said. "Even if she has to be under surveillance by the school governors and Umbridge, he doesn't want her there, but seeing as he doesn't work in the Department of Magical Education he can't do anything about that" he shrugged.

"Just hope she sticks to the rules" Albus muttered, frowning.

"I'll hex her if she doesn't" Scorpius replied darkly.

"Not if I hex her first" Albus retorted.

Rose looked from one boy to the other in disbelief. She wasn't one to approve of attacking anyone without very good cause - especially if they were an authoritarian figure. Scorpius stuck his hand out and Albus shook it in a mock agreement.

"Deal" he said.

Rose just looked at them incredulously.

"_Boys_" she huffed.

Twenty minutes later, it was time for Albus, Scorpius and Rose to board the Hogwarts Express and head back to school. They hurried towards the nearest carriage, but not before saying goodbye to their parents, who were standing close by. Albus hugged his mother and then his father.

"I'm really proud of you, Al. You know that, don't you? In fact, you _might_" he grinned, "get that new model Firebolt that comes out in a few weeks for Christmas if you're lucky" Harry said. Albus' face lit up as though someone had turned a light bulb on his brain.

"Really? Thanks!" he exclaimed.

"But you better work for it!" Harry reminded him. "No slacking".

"Would I really do that?" Albus asked as innocently as possible. Harry simply smirked.

Albus noticed that Scorpius in particular gave both his parents – especially his father - a lingering embrace before stepping up onto the carriage stairway, and even then he was reluctant. Albus hadn't realised how close the Malfoy family really were until now. It made him appreciate even more how hard they worked as a family to do good and put things right to make up for the past.

As the Hogwarts Express started its' engine, the three friends jumped inside and headed for the closest compartment. They flung themselves down, exhausted from the extremely anxious morning they had had. Albus hoped the kind-faced trolley lady would come round with chocolate frogs and pumpkin pasties for him to devour; he was getting rather hungry. Slowly but surely, the train began to roll out of the station, pulling away from Platform Nine and Three Quarters in a familiar, homely way.

Back on the platform, Draco leaned in to say something to Harry.

"So, are you and your family trying to win a Nobel Prize for saving the most lives in the shortest space of time?" he asked.

"Er- what?" Harry spluttered, evidently confused. Draco rolled his eyes.

"You've raised your children well" he said, before turning to go back to his car with his wife.

The train ride back to Hogwarts didn't take as long as Albus had thought, and they were soon pulling into Hogsmeade station, where they were greeted by Violet Sinistra.

"You're just in time, the feast is starting in about fifteen minutes" she smiled, ushering them to the carriage that was waiting for them just outside the station. As usual, it appeared that the carriage was not being drawn by anything; but Albus knew that there were Thestrals harnessed to the front of the carriage. They were very clever, very unique animals that could only be seen by people who had seen someone die. As curious as he was about them, Albus hoped that he would never be able to see them.

When they reached Hogwarts, they were just in time; the bell that sounded the beginning of dinner had sounded just as they walked into the Entrance Hall, and they quickly melted into the crowds (they had changed back into their robes on the train) to join the rest of their Houses for the evening feast. The house-elves, once again, had pulled out all the stops; everything was just as delicious as it always was, and even Rose helped herself to seconds – something that she rarely did.

Quidditch practice started up again the very next evening. Whilst the trial was the talk of the school, Albus ignored the comments made by passing students and threw all his energy into training as hard as he could in order to ensure victory for the Gryffindor Quidditch team in two weeks' time. Ravenclaw were good, and the Gryffindor team needed to be even better if they stood a chance of winning and putting Ravenclaw back from 2nd place to 3rd place in the Inter House Quidditch League. Not only did Albus train with the rest of his team three times a week, he also found time on the weekend to practice alone, usually bringing Scorpius or Rose with him so they could throw him golf balls for him to catch. And, even if Albus said so himself, he was getting pretty darn good.

On the morning of the game against Ravenclaw, Albus was shaken awake at the crack of dawn – at least, that's what it felt like- by team captain Amanda Braithwaite, who herded him out into the cold air with a manic look in her eye as soon as he'd thrown on a pair of jeans and a jumper. The rest of the team were already assembled, sleepy and annoyed at the unwelcome wake-up call, but Albus could tell that they really wanted to win this game.

"Right" Amanda began. "We've been practising long and hard for our first game of the season. I daresay we've practised longer and harder than _any other house team_!" her voice got louder as she became more animated, "So – we need to get out there, give it our very best shot, and flatten Ravenclaw _to the ground_!" She shouted, punching the air with a fist. The team gave their motions of support and cheered and hooted despite their tiredness.

"Now, go back to your dorms and freshen yourselves up. Get some breakfast. I'll meet you back here half an hour before the game begins" Amanda said. Albus and the rest of the team exited the team tent at the edge of the pitch, Albus rubbing his eyes tiredly – though he wasn't as tired as he had first been. He wanted to win today. He _had_ to win today. There was nothing that meant more to him than Quidditch, he'd decided. And anyway, he'd never lost a game yet. He was going to give this his best shot and open the season with a solid win.

Albus showered quickly before tugging his clothes back on, then going back to the Gryffindor Common Room to wait for Rose and Molly. Molly had been ill at the time of the trial and had been unable to testify, but Albus had seen her the previous evening and she was glad that things had been successful. He was repeating Amanda's game plan to himself in front of the empty fireplace when Rose came down from her dormitory followed by Molly and two of her dorm-mates who he knew to be Scarlett Thompson – more commonly known as Lettie - and Mildred Thorpe. Both were nice enough and were friends with everyone.

"Morning, Al" Rose greeted him. "Ready for the game?"

"You bet I am" he grinned.

"You're not nervous?" Lettie asked him, cocking her head to the side. Albus shook his head.

"Nope, not really. I'm used to it now" he replied.

"Lucky" Lettie said. "I get nervous about everything. Well, good luck! Rose, me and Milly will see you in the Great Hall, yeah?"

"Yeah, of course" Rose answered. Lettie and Mildred exited the portrait hole, whispering together excitedly.

Rose flopped down onto the squashy crimson sofa next to Albus and brushed her curls out of her eyes, whilst Molly settled herself down on his other side.

"I think Lettie likes you" Rose announced casually, as if they were merely discussing the weather. Albus spluttered.

"What makes you think that?" Albus asked quizzically – though he was secretly quite flattered.

"Oh, nothing really, though she talks about you twenty four seven and is very impressed that you're on the Quidditch team even though you're the youngest" Molly interjected explained. Albus felt himself go red.

"Oh" was all he could say. What was he _supposed _to say to that?

"Anyway, d'you want to go down for breakfast?" Rose asked. "We better get going".

At half past ten, Albus left Rose and Molly with Mildred and Lettie and made his way down to the Quidditch pitch to meet Amanda and the rest of the team. He'd already changed into his Quidditch robes and his Firebolt was waiting for him in the team's changing rooms along with the others' broomsticks.

He could already hear the crowd gathering outside in the stands and adrenaline buzzed in his veins. He was itching to be up in the air again, and the competitive element didn't bother him like it had in his very first match the previous year. Growing up with such a big, noisy, _nosy_ family made competitive streaks compulsory as you constantly had to battle against various cousins for different things. He knew his cousin Fred was commentating again and Madam Hooch was refereeing the match as she always did.

As the noise in the stands rose to impossible heights, Amanda gathered the team round for a last-minute pep talk.

"Remember what we talked about in the practices. Keep focused. Don't think about whatever anyone else is doing; just keep your eyes on the task you've got to do, right? The better the win today, the more chance we've got of staying in the lead even if the other teams win their matches. Stay focused. Keep your height and stay out of the way of the opposition as much as you can, don't give them a chance to knock you out of the sky. Okay, got that? Let's go!"

Albus grasped his Firebolt and followed his teammates into the smaller antechamber which opened out onto the Quidditch field. Charlena Rofters, the Ravenclaw Seeker, was good. But Albus had a better broomstick, hers being a Firebolt 50 whereas Albus had the very latest model – until the Firebolt 5000 came out in a couple of months' time, at least. He steered his mind away from fantasy broomsticks reluctantly as his cousin's voice came over the megaphone.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, students and teachers, welcome to the first Quidditch game of the season! In the opening match, reigning champions Gryffindor" _there was a deafening roar from the Gryffindor supporters_,_ "_ headed by Amanda Braithwaite, take on resident second-placers Ravenclaw"_ another cry of appreciation from the Ravenclaw side_ "led by team captain Martin Davies!" _The crowd clapped and cheered and boos echoed from both sides.

"_Okay, folks, calm down, calm down" _Fred ushered the crowd. _"And now, please join me in welcoming the Ravenclaw Quidditch team! Come on out!"_ Another deafening blast of applause and cheers as the Ravenclaw team came onto the field. Albus' heart was hammering in his chest.

"_Give a cheer for their rivals this fine autumn morning, the Gryffindor Quidditch team!"_

And then the hatch to the antechamber opened and Albus followed the rest of his team out into the cold, clear morning. Deafening applause rose from the stands echoed by boos and hisses from the Ravenclaws as Albus took in his surroundings. Early frost made the ground hard enough for a good kick-off and the air was clear which meant good vision – good for spotting and catching the Golden Snitch, the tiny walnut sized ball worth an extra hundred and fifty points for the team of the Seeker who caught it. Whichever Seeker caught the Snitch first, ended the game and subsequently was victorious.

Both teams met in the middle of the field. Madam Hooch was standing in between them with the open crate of Quidditch balls at her feet.

"Captains, shake hands" she commanded. Amanda and Davies, the Ravenclaw captain, shook hands obediently, though in a rather more aggressive manner than was usually reserved for the formal greeting. Davies smirked as he released Amanda's hand.

"Mount your brooms!" Madam Hooch called. Albus quickly got onto his own broomstick and kicked off from the ground as hard as he could. He and the rest of the players shot up into the air, the slight breeze whipping their robes and hair.

"Relashio!" the silver-haired referee waved her wand at the crate, and the struggling black Bludgers broke free of their bonds; they swooped and circled the players, and Albus had to dodge out of the way to avoid being hit in the face by one of them.

Then, she bent down and took out the tiny Golden Snitch, which shot into the air like a bullet from a gun, moving so fast that Albus had to focus completely in order to spot that flitting speck of gold hovering around his rival for the game, Rofters. The crowd held their breath as, finally, the Quaffle was removed from the case and thrown into the air.

"_And the Quaffle is released! Immediately passed from Amanda Braithwaite with superb skill to fellow Chaser Merryweather, a new addition to the team this year, and she doesn't disapp – oh no, Ravenclaw in possession, Hardy passes to Eldridge, back to Hardy, he aims, he shoots – AAAND RAVENCLAW HAVE SCORED THE FIRST TEN POINTS OF THE GAME!"_

Fred yelled into the megaphone. Albus hissed through clenched teeth. Quickly, he regained composure and took off around the pitch, the wind blowing his hair in all directions, looking for any sign of that coveted little Snitch. He didn't pay much attention to the rest of the game; Fred's commentary drifted in and out of his mind as he sped up, adrenaline pumping in his veins, searching the air avidly.

"_Gryffindor back in possession – DUCK, AMANDA! – a bludger well dodged there by team captain Amanda Braithwaite, excellent stuff, and it's Ravenclaw with the Quaffle again, they're a rough bunch, just look at them go – HEY, I SAW THAT CROFT! Professor McGonagall, there's been a foul-"_ Fred shouted angrily.

"Weasley, concentrate on the game!" Professor McGonagall said.

"_Oh yeah, sorry Professor...um anyway, Merryweather with the Quaffle, she's streaking up the pitch now – what broom is she using? Ah, the coveted Firebolt 3100! Which, coincidentally, is the model used by Gryffindor Seeker Albus Potter, one of my many cousins and the middle child of the legendary Harry Potter..." _

"WEASLEY!" Professor McGonagall scolded.

The crowd laughed. Albus cringed with embarrassment at being mentioned by Fred, scanning the pitch eagerly. There was no sign of the Snitch yet. He decided to change direction and sped off the opposite way from which he had started, looking...looking...he wondered if Rofters had seen it yet...he hoped she hadn't...he diverted his gaze to her for a few moments...no, it didn't look like she was having much luck either...that was good...

"_GRYFFINDOR SCORE! THAT BRINGS THE POINTS, AS THEY STAND, TO GRYFFINDOR 40, RAVENCLAW, 40. This is really is turning out to be a nail biter...OUCH, Jessica, that must have hurt...Is she ok? Yes? And Jessica Marks, another new addition to the Gryffindor Quidditch team, is back on her broomstick after being hit by a Bludger, well done girl, that's the spirit, she's very dedicated to her sport that one, maybe that's why she won't go out with me..." _

"WEASLEY, THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING! CONCENTRATE ON THE GAME!" the Headmistress yelled.

Albus was becoming increasingly frustrated. Where was the Snitch?

ZOOM.

He had a split second to duck as a Bludger came whooshing past him; luckily, it missed him by mere millimetres. He breathed a sigh of relief.

The game continued. Ravenclaw scored twice more, and Gryffindor three times; they were now in the lead 70—50. If only he could find the Snitch...where was the blasted thing?

And then he spotted it. A tiny speck of gold was hovering _right next to Charlena's right elbow and she hadn't seen it_. He took his chance. Albus sped off like a bolt of lightning, heading straight towards her with full force...he kept his eyes on that speck of gold, now hovering near the top of her head..._don't look round, please don't look round..._

Charlena saw it too.

Albus was catching up to her...they were neck and neck...the Snitch flew a few feet ahead of them, teasing them...it disappeared out of sight, and Albus' heart sank...no, there it was again! He leaned forward on his broom, speeding up all the time; he was further ahead of Charlena now...she couldn't keep up...he reached out in front of him, hand open, ready to close around that tiny golden ball...he had to catch it...

WHAM.

A bludger collided with his left shoulder blade and hurled him forward off the front end of his broom.

_**A/N: Oooooh cliffy! What did you think? Good? Bad? Okay? I'm not so good with Quidditch scenes so please tell me how I did with the Gryffindor/Ravenclaw game. Loved it, hated it, whatever - JUST REVIEW IT! You know you want to. **_

_**HOT OFF THE PRESS: I HAVE been working on developing the much-anticipated sequel to Family Ties: Left Holding The Baby almost a year and a half after the first installment of the series was published. Fear not! You will have to wait a little bit longer, though, I'm afraid as I won't be starting the second installment (whose title I will reveal in the coming months for anyone who's interested) until this book is finished. Don't worry though, as you can expect the second in the Family Ties series to hit FanFiction around November 2010.**_

**_Peace out, and happy reading!_**

**_HPfangirl4life xx_**


	15. The Hidden Tomb

_**A/N: Wow, I was worried I wouldn't get this chapter out in time, but I think I've made it between the 2-3 week deadline. I thought hard about this chapter, it's one of the longest yet, and I hope you enjoy it. **_

_CHAPTER FIFTEEN_

_The Hidden Tomb_

"What happened after the bludger hit me?" Albus asked groggily, rubbing his eyes and sitting up a little straighter in bed. He was in the hospital wing, he knew that much, though he couldn't remember being brought here. Rose and Scorpius were sitting by his bed.

"You broke your shoulder - the matron fixed it for you in seconds though – and you flew off the end of your broom. Madam Hooch caught it before it could fly off' Scorpius began. 'You hit your head when you fell, you were unconscious for a long time – Rose was getting worried' he explained.

"He could have really been hurt!" Rose protested. Scorpius just rolled his eyes.

"Did I catch the Snitch, at least?" Albus asked; this was the one question he was dying to know the answer to. Injured or not, winning the game meant a lot to Amanda, and to him as well.

Rose's face fell, and Albus' heart sank simultaneously. It was silent for a few moments. They'd lost, and he'd let Amanda down. _Stupid Bludger_, he thought bitterly. It looked like his 'danger magnet' trait didn't just apply to his activities inside Hogwarts – but wait a minute, why was Scorpius grinning like a madman at him?

"What's the joke?" Albus demanded suddenly, nodding in Scorpius' direction.

"Oh Al, of course you caught the Snitch!" Rose burst out. "You caught it before you fell. Scorpius dared me to see how long I could make you think you'd lost the game. I managed three minutes" she said.

"And you owe me two Galleons for that" Scorpius replied seriously. He held out his hand, and Rose reluctantly pressed two gold coins into his palm. He pocketed them smugly.

"Yes!" Albus exclaimed in delight. That put Gryffindor still firmly in first place and Ravenclaw pushed back to third, with Slytherin second. Yet to play a game, Hufflepuff came in last, but the next round – Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff – just after Christmas could change that.

"So we didn't lose?" Albus confirmed carefully, just to make sure Rose wasn't tricking him.

"No" Rose answered. He grinned manically in response.

"Good" he said happily. "Because Amanda would've killed me, and I'm not sure I'm ready to die yet".

There was a huge party in the Gryffindor Common Room that night to celebrate their win against Ravenclaw. They would've had it the previous evening, but as Amanda told him, "We couldn't celebrate without our star Seeker, could we?"

The Common Room was packed with students, all loudly recounting the game, though some of the finer points had been exaggerated along the way; Albus enjoyed answering people's questions about how he'd caught the Snitch, though he was rather embarrassed at all the attention and remained pillar box red for most of the night. Fred and James provided entertainment by setting off a large box of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Dry-Start fireworks, which exploded in a myriad of colours and sent sparks flying everywhere, including a huge orange Catherine wheel that continued to spin brightly long after all the others had been extinguished.

Towards the end of the night, he spotted James in a corner with his friends drinking from what looked suspiciously like a bottle of Odgen's Old Firewhisky. Not even wanting to think about how his brother had got hold of the stuff, Albus at least got James to hide the bottle when Rose appeared with Mildred and Lettie, because if Rose saw she was most likely to tell their mother, and Albus did not want to hear his mother shrieking from a Howler over breakfast. Now that Albus looked closer, Molly was with them too; she took the bottle from him and gulped a mouthful of the whisky whilst Albus' cousin Molly, who was bent over a book on the opposite side of the room, eyed them disapprovingly.

"I don't know where James got that Firewhisky from" Lettie said; she'd just appeared at Albus' side seemingly from nowhere. "But I don't think he should be drinking it. It's strong stuff". Albus didn't miss the disapproving tone in her voice.

"Tell me about it" Albus agreed with a sigh. "You don't have to live with him. He's a royal pain in the bum at home".

"That's a shame" Lettie said. "I've got a brother too, he's older than me and he's a Squib. I tease him about it a lot, but only because he annoys the living hell out of me".

Albus' mouth dropped open.

"Your brother's a Squib?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah. The only one in our family who can't do magic actually. He hates being the odd one out" she explained.

Then she seemed to remember something, because she turned to face him full on and grinned widely. "Oh, and congratulations on winning the game. You're a great Seeker even when you're hurt" she said. Lettie was blushing, and Albus remembered what Rose had said about Lettie fancying him. H felt his own cheeks flush.

"Th-thanks" he stammered, as he had done every time someone had congratulated him that night. Then – so quickly that Albus wasn't even sure it really happened – Lettie stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, leaving him stunned.

The trial and Scorpius' father's release had not helped Professor Winters' attitude and feelings towards Scorpius – nor Albus or Rose either, as they had helped him. If possible, even though she was under strict supervision by Umbridge (apparently), she was treating him worse than ever, though subtly and very slyly. She took points from Slytherin for every little mistake he made, would pointedly look in his direction every time she spoke about Death Eaters or the Dark Arts during lessons, and the lessons themselves became more and more biased as the term wore on. Though obviously unhappy, Scorpius didn't want to go to McGonagall, and he doubted Umbridge would be of any help from the stories Albus and Rose had told him about her.

"Then at least tell your parents!" Rose pressed during Charms one afternoon.

"No. I don't want to worry them. And anyway, I don't want them to come up to the school, because that's what they'll do" Scorpius said. "Winters will know I've been telling on her and she'll just use it to her advantage".

"I heard your parents on the platform, Scorpius. They told you to tell them if she did anything else to you" Rose argued. "She's violating her post and terms of the sentence the Wizengamot gave her!"

She tapped the teacup in front of her with her wand. It did a perfect backflip in mid air before gracefully coming to rest back down onto its saucer. Scorpius did not reply to her comment; he tapped his own teacup and it flew into the air, crashed onto the floor and smashed into pieces. Scorpius' shoulders slumped in disappointment as he sulkily got up from his desk to collect the pieces of broken cup. Albus gave him a sympathetic smile which he seemed to be grateful for, because he returned it.

"Reparo" Rose waved her wand and the pieces flew back together.

"Try again, Scorpius. You need to be gentle when you tap the cup, don't be too firm. Just a little touch to the rim of the cup" she encouraged fondly. Albus tried not to feel annoyed that she was readily helping Scorpius with his work when she had refused to help _him_ when he'd asked.

Halfway through November, a notice appeared on the pinboard in the Gryffindor Common Room.

_DUELLING CLUB_

_Students in second year and above are welcome to participate in the Hogwarts Duelling Club, a fantastic opportunity to practice Defense Against the Dark Arts skills outside the classroom with Professor Conway, teacher of Muggle Studies._

_It is highly recommended for O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. Defense Against the Dark Arts students. _

_The Hogwarts Duelling Club will be held every Wednesday in classroom 204 at 7 o'clock from November 23__rd__ onwards. _

"Hey Rose, Molly, fancy going?" Albus asked, nodding to the notice pinned up in front of them.

"Yeah, actually!" Molly said enthusiastically. "I'll go. I'd love to practice Defense, I'm not very good at it". Albus grinned. Defense Against the Dark Arts was his favourite subject; he was rather like his father in that respect. The gentle and kind Professor Galloway, who taught the subject, was encouraging and devoted time to each of his students individually. He was similar to Slughorn in the way he openly treated his students like friends, which was what Albus liked about him, but unlike Slughorn, Professor Galloway didn't play favourites either.

"Why not?" Rose said. "It would be excellent to use our knowledge practically. The four of us can go. D'you think Scorpius might be interested?" she suggested.

"It starts on the 23rd, that's tonight" Molly interjected, pointing to the notice. "It should be fun. What's the worst that can happen?"

At half past six that evening – not long after the feast had ended – Albus, Rose, Molly and Scorpius met at the bottom of the staircase that lead to Gryffindor tower.

After checking the Marauder's Map, Albus had found out that classroom 204 was a disused Potions laboratory on the fourth floor, three floors below them, and they wanted to get there in plenty of time to please Professor Conway. Albus remembered what Scorpius had told him about the Muggle Studies Professor fighting during the Second Wizarding War and decided that whoever she was, she was going to know her stuff.

"What do you think we'll be doing?" Rose asked interestedly as they made their way down to the fourth floor.

"Hard to tell" Scorpius said. "We might learn new stuff – counter jinxes or something, but a lot of that is above second year stuff. We might just be practicing what we already know" he shrugged.

"Oh, I think we might learn something new" Albus replied. "Otherwise, what's the point of inviting the younger students? The practice part is for OWL and NEWT students, like it said on the notice" he reasoned.

"I couldn't have put it better myself" Molly agreed. "Now come on, hurry up! I want to see what this is!"

Albus laughed at her childlike enthusiasm, but they headed onward at a faster pace than before. Truth be told, Albus was quite looking forward to this himself; his dad _was_ an Auror after all, and an excellent one at that, and he hoped he might have picked up his knack for Defense Against the Dark Arts. He was eager to see how much they _really_ had in common. Where other children would rather die before being compared to their parents, Albus thought it was a good thing if someone told you that you were like one of your parents. He liked it when people told him he was like his dad. He just hoped that he didn't have any of his dad's mad adventures whilst he was at Hogwarts. Yes, he was a bit of a danger magnet, but he didn't want to get into anything _that_ dangerous. Definitely no Dark Lords, dragons or three-headed dogs called Fluffy for him.

When they reached classroom 204, it was already packed. There were a lot of students from all years there; quite a lot of the group looked like they could be fifth and seventh years and quite a few from Albus' and James' year too. He spotted James' friends Ben and Caleb (they'd visited once at the beginning of the summer after James' first year) in the gaggle of third-years closest to them, and then he saw James himself entertaining another group of what looked like older students with more of the dry-start fireworks he'd used in the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw after match party.

Albus hoped to avoid his brother, so he ducked out of the way – the last thing he wanted was for James to spot him and play a joke on him or else find another way to draw attention to him, at least away from home where Ginny couldn't keep close eye (two eyes) on him.

Fat chance.

James had clocked him – most likely because of Rose's flaming red hair standing out so much – and had abandoned his adoring fans to come over to them.

"Who's the fan club, James?" Rose asked, nodding to the group of older students he had been entertaining seconds before.

"Just some fourth years, they wanted to know where I got the fireworks from the party" James shrugged.

"What are you doing here, anyway? You don't even like Defense Against the Dark Arts" Albus said, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. What _was_ his brother doing here?

"I came with Ben and Cal" he retorted. "I thought it would be fun, give me a chance to hex a few people I don't like without getting into trouble for it..."

He saw Rose's horrified expression, and then added quickly, "I'm joking"

Albus got the feeling he wasn't joking at all.

"Anyway, I have to be somewhere – I'll see you kids later" he said, and winked at Molly, who turned red and giggled. This did not go unnoticed by Albus, who wasn't sure how to react.

"Excuse me, but did you just giggle at my brother?" he asked in complete disbelief.

_There might have been another reason Molly was hanging around James at that party, _he thought, but he immediately shook his head sharply to remove the thought from his mind.

"Might have" Molly said sheepishly, scuffing the toe of her shoe along the floor and avoiding his eye.

"Good evening students!" came a voice from the front of the room, and they all turned. Professor Conway was standing on a raised platform before them in robes of midnight blue that glittered when the light from two dozen flaming torches along the walls hit them. She had certainly picked the right classroom; it was big enough for the at least a hundred people that had turned up, still allowing room to move around once they actually started casting spells at each other. "I see you've all found the place alright, and I must say I'm surprised at the turnout!"

She smiled, and then pulled out her wand. "I hope you'll benefit from this Duelling Club that I've arranged for you. I have personal experience in dealing with Dark wizards and I wish to transfer that knowledge to you and ensure you are prepared for whatever life may bring you. Some of you may know that I was heavily involved in the protection of Muggles, Muggle-borns and half-bloods during the Second Wizarding War, and I now teach Muggle Studies with the knowledge I have from my experiences. Now, to begin, I'm going to be teaching some of the younger students basic defence spells, so those of you who are studying O.W.L level Defense Against the Dark Arts or higher, please feel free to start whenever you wish, as well as those of you who feel you are confident enough to practice on your own"

At her words, two thirds of the students in the room immediately paired off or formed groups, and moved to the other side of the room to give Professor Conway and the younger students room. Albus noticed that James and his friends joined this majority. This left around thirty, maybe forty students, and Albus, Rose, Molly and Scorpius moved forward to get a better view and a good spot.

"The spell we're going to start with is _Expelliarmus_, the Disarming charm, a foundation for all the other defence spells you will ever need to learn and, though widely underestimated, highly useful" Professor Conway said. "Some of you may have already come across this spell in your usual lessons, and others might have even used it before."

Albus was forcibly reminded of the incident in which Scorpius had used _Expelliarmus_ against his cousin Esmeralda Zabini. He also knew that his father had used this spell in many sticky situations when he was at school and during the Second War, which boosted Albus' confidence; if this spell had helped his father survive, then it was definitely one to know.

"Now, casting the charm is very simple. All you need to do is make sure that your wand is pointing directly at its target – it sounds silly" she said sharply, as a few Ravenclaw scoffed, "but you'll be surprised how many wizards and witches get into trouble with hexes and jinxes because they didn't point their wand at their target properly. Then, you say the incantation, _Expelliarmus_, firmly and clearly. It's not difficult and it's certainly not rocket science. You may get into pairs or groups and practice now" Professor Conway said, smiling again.

Albus remembered, inexplicably, his aunt Angelina saying never to trust anyone who smiled too much. Then again, that was probably true for her because Uncle George, when left unattended, was almost as bad as Fred and Roxy were – and being the owner of the best joke shop in London, he certainly did smile a lot. But there was no reason not to trust Professor Conway, so he pushed that thought out of his head, took out his wand, and agreed to be Scorpius' partner whilst Rose worked with Molly.

"We'll swap after a few tries each" Rose suggested. "That way we'll all go against each other and it'll be fairer". The other three agreed.

Albus and Scorpius moved out into an unoccupied space and stood a good few feet apart. Albus raised his wand, having decided to go first – and then noticed that the floor of the classroom was covered in large plush cushions. Wondering how they'd got there when they definitely had _not_ been there moments ago, he deduced that they were probably there to cushion the fall of those who were disarmed by their partners.

All around them, shouts of "Expelliarmus!" erupted; people winced and groaned as they fell backwards onto the floor, others cheered when they had successfully cast the spell. Albus faced Scorpius again.

"Expelliarmus!" he cried, pointing his wand straight at his friend.

The effect was instantaneous; Scorpius shot backwards about three feet before landing – rather painfully, in Albus' mind – onto the floor, but luckily he'd landed right on top of a cushion.

"You okay?" Albus called; Scorpius nodded. Albus felt very pleased with himself. Scorpius winced as he got up, and then grinned evilly, raising his own wand.

"Expelliarmus!"

Albus flew through the air as the jet of scarlet light from Scorpius' wand hit him in the chest; he was airborne for a second, before missing the plump cushion nearest to him and landing, with a loud _bang_ that made everyone's heads turn, on the hard wooden floor right on his backside.

"Ouch!" His eyes watered from the pain from the collision with the floor, but he managed to give Scorpius a thumbs up.

"Sorry, Al" he was saying as he reached over to pull Albus up. "I might have been a bit too forceful; you went further than I did".

"S'okay" Albus winced. "It's just my luck to miss the cushion completely" He rubbed his lower back as if trying to get rid of the throbbing pain there.

"Do you want to swap with the girls now? I'll practice with Rose or Molly whilst you – er- recover" Scorpius suggested.

"I'm okay" Albus assured his friend. "Though I think I might have bruises in the morning".

They carried on. Albus had been right to bring Molly along; she didn't have much confidence with practical work and her spells were passable at the very most; she only succeeded in making Rose wince in pain when her spell hit her. Scorpius was even better than either Rose or Albus could have expected, though Rose had insisted that he and Albus were rather evenly matched.

In fact, Albus even succeeded in throwing Scorpius about twelve feet backwards before he, as Albus had done, landed just as painfully on the hard wooden floor and to make matters worse, he hit his head rather hard on the wall behind him and didn't move for a few moments. Panicking, Albus almost ran over to him, but he soon saw that he was mostly alright. Eyes streaming from the pain in his head, Scorpius stood up shakily.

"Good one!" he gasped, massaging his head where it had connected with the wall. He was looking rather pale.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Rose fussed, peering at him with such a concerned expression on her face that Albus wondered, yet again, if there was something more going on between his cousin and his best friend.

_Not that I'd mind, _he told himself fiercely. _Not much, anyway_.

"I don't know..." he finally admitted.

Albus' heart sank. He was hoping he hadn't hurt him.

"Maybe you need to go the hospital wing" Rose said. "You might have a concussion; you hit your head pretty hard from what I could see".

"Yeah" he agreed absent-mindedly.

He swayed alarmingly on the spot, and Albus and Rose raced to catch him by the elbows before he could fall over.

"Hospital wing" Albus said to Rose hastily. "Come on".

"I'll tell Professor Conway where you've gone" Molly called to them as they lead Scorpius out of the classroom.

"Sorry about this" Albus apologised as they went down the corridor. "I didn't realise the spell would be so strong". Scorpius waved his hand impatiently.

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing, I'm fine" he insisted, though he swayed slightly again. "I always get like this when I'm hurt, I'm just like that" he carried on.

"Like I said" Rose said with an air of professionalism, "you might have concussion, so Madam Chambers will need to look you over". Scorpius sighed, but didn't object.

They had reached the third floor corridor. This corridor, unlike the others, was covered in dozens upon dozens of moving paintings; the occupants of the portrait stared at the three of them as they walked past, and Albus was sure one of them was following him with his eyes. At the end of the corridor, the floor dipped down slightly, and to the right was an antechamber that had a heavy door at its entrance; at least, Albus thought it was a door, but the dark wooden block that sat in the entrance to the antechamber had no keyhole, handle or lock. He was grasped by the sudden impulse to inspect the door more closely; what was it, and why did it seem like you couldn't get in there?

"Al, what are you doing?" Rose asked in ruffled voice. She still had a firm hold on Scorpius, who was now looking a little green.

"I wonder what this is" Albus mused aloud, pointing to the door-like entrance in front of him.

"Who cares what it is?" Scorpius moaned quietly. "I think I hit my head too hard, I feel a bit faint now".

"Come on, Al, leave it alone" Rose said stiffly.

His concern for his friend pulled Albus out of his reverie, and he made to turn back toward them, but the door was still there. He felt a strange niggling in the pit of his stomach, an urge to turn back towards it, as if it were pulling him in. _Come and investigate me, you know you want to_ it seemed to be saying.

_Where's your Gryffindor spirit, eh? _A little voice in his brain told him. _You got your father's curiosity, didn't you? Why not use it now? It could be something interesting_.

Or it could just be an empty hole in the wall, his rational side argued. He turned back towards Scorpius and Rose again.

_Oh, come on. Where's your sense of adventure?_ The voice in his mind – which, now he thought about it, sounded a lot like Molly Finnigan – said.

"You go on with Scorpius" Albus said suddenly, his curiosity getting the better of him. "I'll come and find you in a bit. Is that alright?" he added to Scorpius, feeling a little bad for leaving him when he was clearly not the picture of health.

"Yeah, I don't mind" he said. "It's not your fault I'm hurt, anyway. Just make sure you tell me if you find anything interesting" Scorpius grinned, though it looked forced.

Could Scorpius read his mind, and know that Albus was interested in investigating the blocked antechamber?

"Fine" Rose huffed, and then her tone softened. "Come on, let's get you to the hospital wing, you look like you'll fall down any minute". And with that, she took hold of Scorpius and led him away down the corridor to the left.

Albus waited until they'd gone before turning back to the door. The heavy wood was worn and clearly very old; it had not been varnished like all the other doors Albus had seen in the castle, and there were a number of scratches and gouges in its surface. It was also made of a wood much darker than the rest of the castle's furniture; the only place which used wood this shade was the furniture in the Gryffindor Common Room, which confirmed Albus' theory that this door – if that's what it was – was very old indeed. He looked closer, paying attention to the seal around the edge of the wood where it had been fitted into the rectangular stone alcove. It seemed to have been fitted exactly to the space without even a millimetre spare; almost as if the door had been crafted especially for this space alone. It was set deep into the alcove, leaving a rim of stone around the edge of the door, and once again Albus felt that strange pull to investigate it.

He went for a closer look. What was behind this, and why had it been blocked in the first place? He ran the palm of his hand around the inside of the alcove. The stone, like the wood, was very worn and therefore very old. Then again, it wasn't that surprising considering that Hogwarts was well over a thousand years old. It was then that he noticed an inscription in minute writing, engraved into upper rim above his head. Though the door wasn't exactly high, he still had to stand on his tiptoes to read the words.

_Where dwell the brave at heart_. Albus was confused. Wasn't that the phrase used to describe Gryffindor house? Why was that written there?

Then, as if an invisible hand was pushing him from behind, the urge to investigate what was behind this blocked alcove was at its strongest; it was a strange feeling, as if he was being pulled forward by invisible reins. Was there some kind of magic on the door?

Albus stumbled on the raised stone under his feet, and threw out his hands to break his fall. His palms landed on the door, and suddenly the wood grew very warm under his hands; there was a low thrumming noise, almost as if the wood itself were vibrating under his touch.

Then, all at once, the wood began to shift with a loud scraping noise; he jerked his hands away, and looked over his should worriedly, though he was too stunned to do anything else except stay frozen where he was, wide-eyed with disbelief. What had he done? Had he done magic without knowing it? It reminded him of the way the wall moved apart to reveal Diagon Alley, though he was never surprised when that happened.

It was over in seconds; the door had shifted away and out of sight, revealing a pitch black entrance that not even the light from the torches on the walls could penetrate.

Somewhat reluctantly, Albus peered a little inside; there was penetrating darkness stretched out all around him and he couldn't see a thing. But there was that strange pull again, that desire to explore further, and being the Gryffindor that he was, Albus decided to succumb and venture forth. He didn't even think about what might be lying in wait for him. He walked through the entrance, pulled out his wand, and uttered the spell he had picked up last year from reading one of the Defense Against the Dark Arts books his dad had given him.

"_Lumos!_" he whispered; he didn't speak too loudly in case someone heard him. The wand ignited and a cone of light erupted before him; he could see almost everything now, and now that he could, he gasped aloud in shock.

It was beyond whatever he might have expected. On either side of him were two enormous, crouched stone lions, jaws open wide in a silent roar, carved manes flying behind them, their tall tails high in the air. The walls, or what he could see of them, were covered in faded crimson velvet that was wearing thin and fraying; there were glittering solid gold ornaments and the most curious looking artefacts everywhere; and piles of long-abandoned, dust covered books that looked like the kind that Rose might read.

Directly in front of him, was a massive portrait; gilt framed, ornate and looking as though it could be a thousand years old. It showed the head and torso of a handsome, majestic looking man with very tanned skin, wide-set dark eyes and long, flowing dark hair. In his hand, he held a familiar looking sword encrusted with great glittering rubies the size of chicken's eggs.

Then the man in the portrait smiled, and he spoke in a pleasant, respectful voice.

"Hello, there. I've been wondering when you'd come along"

The man in the portrait was Godric Gryffindor.

_**A/N: Well...wasn't that exciting? I wondered about bringing this plotline back into the story and I eventually did, so I hope you like it and don't forget to REVIEW! I really enjoyed this writing chapter so I hope you'll enjoy reading it. Finally Al is getting an adventure of his own - but will he tell Rose and Scorpius? Some of you might figure out where I'm going with this, and if you do, great! But all will be revealed shortly, all will be revealed...**_

**_Don't forget to click that little button underneath this message and let me know what you think!_**

**_HPfangirl4life xx_**


	16. Godric Gryffindor

_**A/N: Here we go again! Sorry for the slow update, I had a nasty bout of writer's block and that's probably why this chapter is so bloody short. Its a short scene, but as you'll realise as you read it it's important to the story and ties in with the title of the book itself. Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy this chapter and DON'T YOU DARE FORGET TO REVIEW! DON'T YOU DARE!**_

_

* * *

__CHAPTER SIXTEEN_

_Godric Gryffindor_

* * *

"Excuse me?" Albus spluttered in what could only be described as pure shock. "What do you mean, wondering when I'd come along?"

He could scarcely believe his eyes or his ears. If this man (_portrait_, Albus corrected himself) really was Godric Gryffindor, then Albus must have wandered into some kind of tribute to him without really meaning to. Was he really surrounded by the legendary wizards' possessions, stood facing his portrait? He blinked rapidly for a few moments whilst he waited for Gryffindor to speak again.

"Do you not know?" the wizard asked kindly, cocking his head to the side in interest.

"Know what?" Albus stammered stupidly, getting the feeling he should know something, but didn't know what that might be.

"Why, only a person of true Gryffindor lineage could have gained access to my tomb" Gryffindor explained, waving one painted hand – the one that wasn't holding the sword – at the room they were in. "Only someone of that blood could have opened it".

Albus gaped at him.

"Are you saying that-that I'm re-related...to you?" He really, really wished that he wasn't stuttering; it made him feel stupid and, especially in the presence of one of the most legendary wizards of all time, he wished he was more articulate.

"Only someone of that blood could have opened it" Gryffindor repeated.

Albus was rooted to the spot in shock.

Him, related to Godric Gryffindor?

But if he was...that meant that either his mother or father was related to him too. Was there really so much he didn't know about himself, about his family's history?

"But...but I..." Albus couldn't think of anything to say. Gryffindor smiled sympathetically. "I can't be related to you..." he trailed off with a shrug, scuffing his foot along the floor nervously.

"Why do you think that way?" Gryffindor asked.

"I'm not sure" Albus admitted. He _couldn't_ be related to Godric Gryffindor...could he? "The Sorting Hat said I would have been a good Slytherin" he finally offered.

"I see the old hat is still doing his job correctly" Gryffindor chuckled. "Slytherin, you say?" he eyed Albus' robes carefully. "But you were placed in Gryffindor. Then again, I find that many students appear to be able to fit into more than one house alone."

There was silence for a few moments. Albus remembered Scorpius and Rose and thought that he really should leave and see if Scorpius was okay. But he was also very interested in seeing what Gryffindor had to say.

"I think I'd know if I was related to you" Albus said. "I mean, wouldn't there be some kind of symbol or sign or something in my family if I was?"

"I think not, not after so many, many years. My family died out not long after I died myself – my descendants, and the descendants of my stepsister, would be called something different now, perhaps from many different families as well. I cannot be sure, of course, and perhaps I am mistaken. But you know that I lived over a thousand years ago, and records were not as accurately kept in those times" Gryffindor explained.

Albus, however, was still confused.

"You have a stepsister?" he asked. He'd never really thought about the founders of Hogwarts having families – the thought had never occurred to him.

So maybe Gryffindor was right. He could be related to him, couldn't he? And if he'd managed to open the tomb when it had been enchanted so that only a descendant could gain access to it...

"Yes. When I was young, my father remarried and so my sister, Arianrhod, was born. She also married, round about the time when I was busy founding this school, and had three sons – my nephews, though only by marriage. I saw the family frequently enough, however. But I myself had no children" Gryffindor said.

"So I would be a descendant of your sister's sons?" Albus prompted in shock. It was all rather overwhelming and pretty impossible to believe. And yet...Godric Gryffindor had lived over a thousand years ago. Albus was pretty sure that if he traced his own family tree, it wouldn't go that far back – not even close. So there was a possibility, even if it was so bewildering he could barely get his head around it, that they were related.

"Yes" Gryffindor replied with a smile.

Albus' heart raced, his mind spinning. If he really was related to Godric Gryffindor and he really was one of his descendants, then that would mean...well, he wasn't sure what it would mean but he _was_ certain that being related to one of the most legendary wizards of all time would have some sort of significance. He remembered his father telling him that Lord Voldemort had been a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, another of Hogwarts' founders.

Why hadn't it occurred to him that of course the founders would have descendants? Of course they would have. Only they'd be called something different.

There was only one way to be sure – or rather, more sure than he was at that moment.

"Who were your nephews?" he asked quickly, almost in a gasp – a burning curiosity, overwhelming, gripped him and he was desperate, now, for answers.

"Their names were Antioch, Cadmus and Ignotus Peverell"

* * *

**_A/N: Yes, yes, yes, the whole Harry-is-related-to-Gryffindor thing is cliche and it's probably been done to death, but trust me, I do have a rational explanation for this plotline and it goes with a complex backstory that will probably extend through book three as well. I wont'say much more because it's a SPOLIER ALERT but I will say this - Dumbledore gets a bit of a shock in a few chapter's time. _**

**_Some of you are probably wondering when the Sword of Gryffindor will crop up, and well - here's the first step of your answer to your wonderings! I promise the next chapter will be longer and more detailed, with appearances from Umbridge, Gloria Winters, and Al and Scorp renew their quest to unravel their families past, something I know I've been straying away from over the past few chapters. _**

**_You know the drill - love it, hate it, on the fence about it, WHATEVER JUST REVIEW IT! DO IT!_**

**_HPfangirl4life x_**


	17. Dumbledore in Denial

**_A/N: Wow, it's been SUCH a long time and I apologise IMMENSELY for the ridiculously long haitus. Writer's block, more writer's block, less time to write and lots of other things meant that this chapter couldn't have been finished any sooner. But I'm back and back in business with chapter seventeen for you lot to devour, and to make up for the haitus I've rather surprised myself (and hopefully, pleased you) with an extra long chapter._**

**_Enjoy!_**

_

* * *

__CHAPTER SEVENTEEN_

_Dumbledore in Denial_

* * *

"You're kidding me!" Scorpius half-shouted, sitting up in his bed in the hospital wing.

He'd been practically fine after the Duelling Club accident, just a little woozy from fainting on his arrival at the hospital, but he was still being kept there overnight by the matron for observation in case he had concussion from hitting his head. Albus had gone straight to him after he'd left Gryffindor's tomb to tell him what he'd found out; Rose had left, once Scorpius had been declared in no real ill health, to go to the library (_as usual_, Albus thought). He had just finished telling Scorpius what Gryffindor had told him.

"Keep your voice down!" Albus hissed, eyeing the matron in the corner of the hospital wing who was looking at them suspiciously. "And nope, I'm not kidding".

Scorpius let out a low whistle.

"I've never even heard of this Ignotus Peverell" Albus went on. "Who is he, anyway?"

Scorpius shook his head.

"Dunno. Your guess is as good as mine" he replied. "Though he sounds familiar, but I can't think of where I might have heard of him. But if you _are_ related to him, then you're like Godric Gryffindor's last descendant or something!"

"I know. But if it was true, d'you think mum or dad would've told me by now? I mean, you can hardly keep something like this a secret, can you, not when Gryffindor was one of the greatest wizards there ever was!"

"There are lots of things our parents aren't telling us, Al, remember?" Scorpius reminded him.

Albus had to agree. There _was_ already so much he didn't know. He got the feeling that Scorpius wanted to resume his search of his family's past again – and in light of the new information he'd discovered, Albus was quite keen to do the same.

"If I really am related to Godric Gryffindor and I really am his descendant or his heir or whatever, there _has_ to be a way to check" Albus explained.

"You could try the archives in the library" Scorpius suggested. "They might have old genealogy records or something." Albus nodded.

He paused before carrying on. "After what Winters said...I want to see if I can find anything about my family there too. I just can't wait till I'm fourteen to the know the truth, that's _two years_ from now! If dad won't tell me what went on with his family, I'll have to find out myself. I can't stand not knowing, especially with bloody Esmeralda and Winters rubbing it in my face every five minutes" He made a face.

"Once you're allowed out of here, we'll go to the library, alright? We'll do it lunchtime tomorrow. You can look for stuff about your family and I'll try and find out who this Peverell bloke is, and if I do, I'll find out if I really am Godric Gryffindor's descendant like he said I was".

* * *

Albus was distracted throughout his morning lessons the next day, thinking about Gryffindor and what he'd said, and what he and Scorpius were going to do that lunchtime. He was so distracted, in fact, that he forgot to add the porcupine quills to his Sleeping Draught in Potions, turned up the heat too much and nearly set fire to the watery purple potion that was now not a Sleeping Draught at all, and the cauldron itself. Rose was extremely annoyed when fifteen points were taken from Gryffindor for his carelessness.

He ate quickly, eager to get to the library as soon as possible – something that was nothing short of a once-in-a-lifetime experience where Albus was concerned; he usually stayed as far away from the library as he could. Well, as far away as he could with Rose nagging him about doing his homework and forcing him to study with her, that is. Scorpius was waiting outside the library for him.

They headed to the very back of the library, to the Archives section, where all kinds of records were kept – old _Prophets_, historical documents, declarations, that kind of thing. They were often used by students for History of Magic, though you were free to have a look at them anytime you wanted. Scorpius immediately began leafing through huge stacks of _Daily Prophets_, looking for anything from the First and Second Wizarding War that might mention any of his family. Albus went for the Genealogy and Ancestry section of the Archives to find anything that had something to do with Ignotus Peverell. He began pulling papers out at random, not sure what to look for, shifting through them eagerly.

But, as it turned out after nearly half an hour of fruitless searching, Ignotus Peverell was not that easy to find. As Albus had feared, Peverell had lived much too long ago to be mentioned in any of the records Hogwarts held, and even though he did track down some members of his family on his father's side in an old census, he soon discovered it was as much as he was going to get.

Feeling annoyed and disheartened, he settled for helping Scorpius instead. He was sitting at one of the tables nearby, sorting through one of the six stacks of yellowed newspapers around him that, as Albus flopped into the chair next to him, he could see were dated from 1970-1981 – the eleven years spanning the First Wizarding War. There was so _much_ to search through (not that Albus thought searching through eleven years' worth of newspapers was going to be straightforward). Thinking it would be better if they both searched, Albus pulled the nearest stack of newspapers towards him and began flicking through them for anything that might help Scorpius find out what he needed – and perhaps, in the process, he might find something about his own family, too.

Almost every newspaper Albus looked at was full of bad news; deaths, attacks, the breakouts of various Death Eaters from Azkaban, and all kinds of other horrible things. Albus could now appreciate why his family were reluctant to talk about the Wars – it wasn't exactly an easy subject to broach. There were stories about Death Eaters who'd escaped the clutches of the Aurors, vicious raids on the homes of Muggles and Muggle-borns, kidnappings...

But not a single mention, yet, of any of Scorpius' family. Albus wasn't sure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. He knew that these kinds of people – Death Eaters – were very good at covering their tracks and bribing the right people so that their antics were kept quiet. It was the reason why they had had so much power during the First and Second Wars – it was almost impossible to catch them. Albus knew this because his father dealt with these kinds of people on a daily basis (though most of the more vicious ones were securely behind bars in Azkaban prison for life) and often told Albus and his siblings stories about these people to make sure they didn't wander too far away, or didn't go out alone.

After about another twenty minutes of searching, Scorpius suddenly groaned weakly.

"Knew I'd find something sooner or later" he said dejectedly. "Suppose it's a bit stupid to think it wasn't as bad as it clearly was. Here, have a look" He handed Albus the newspaper. It was dated from 1979 and Albus saw what had dejected Scorpius immediately. The front page of the newspaper bore the headline; '_INFLUENTIAL FIGURE ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH MUGGLE-BAITING_'.

"Your grandfather?" Albus asked. Scorpius nodded.

"My grandfather" he replied flatly.

Albus lowered his eyes back to the article.

'_Ministry officials were dealt a sharp blow last night when Aurors arrested Mr Lucius Malfoy, influential political figure and highly respected member of the magical community, in connection with a series of disturbing cases of Muggle-baiting. _

_The incidents, which took place three weeks ago, include several attacks on the homes of Muggles as well as the selling of magically modified Muggle objects with intent on harming the Muggles, the Aurors have confirmed. _

_The Aurors have not yet disclosed information on the reason for the arrest of Mr Malfoy, but they have said that the arrest was made "with sound evidence to detain the arrestee until further notice". _

_The arrest was made in the midst of widening speculations that Mr Malfoy has been, or is otherwise actively involved, in Dark activity and in communication with many known and convicted Death Eaters, including his own sister-in-law Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange, and a previous Ministry tip-off informed the Aurors that he had also been in direct communication with Antonin Dolohov, convicted of the murders of Fabian and Gideon Prewett last year and consequently sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban. _

_Mr Malfoy refused to speak in his own defence upon his arrest and will remain in Ministry custody until subsequent evidence can be provided in connection with the charges.'_

"He got off" Scorpius said sadly. "Two weeks after he was arrested. It was on the front page of the _Prophet_, as well. Dad says he used to bribe the Ministry officials to get him off stuff like this, to take the blame off him, if he ever got caught doing something he shouldn't. That's about as much as I can get out of him about my grandfather; he never talks about him, never talks _to_ him either."

There was a pause.

"It's really weird, but of course he'll never tell me anything if I ask him outright, but I can't _stand_ not knowing!" he finished, putting his head in his hands. "Thanks to this pact or whatever he has with your dad, neither of us really gets to know the truth about what happened in the War for another two years. Two years! Doesn't that annoy you?"

"You don't even know the half of it" Albus rolled his eyes. "I hate it when people lie to me too. Especially my parents and my aunts and uncles. The only person who really tells me anything about anything is Teddy, or my Uncle Bill, he's usually pretty cool about telling me stuff" Albus sighed. "You know, he was attacked by Fenrir Greyback in battle, right here at Hogwarts – it was just after Dumbledore died – and the Death Eaters broke in".

"Really?" Scorpius asked, eyes wide. "He isn't a werewolf, is he?"

"No, Greyback hadn't transformed at the time, he was human, so it didn't affect him" Albus explained. "But he's kind of like Teddy, I suppose. Teddy's only half werewolf, because his dad was one, he's just got some werewolf-type characteristics, you know, like side-affects".

"Blimey!" Scorpius exclaimed. "Your family's really bizarre, you know that Al, don't you?"

"I'll take that as a compliment" he replied. He checked his watch. "We better put this all back, the bell's going to go for afternoon lessons in a few minutes" Seeing the crestfallen expression on Scorpius' face, he added quickly, "but we'll come back later and look again, alright?"

* * *

"You know, I've been thinking" Scorpius said in an undertone during History of Magic, where they were supposed to be reading about major Death Eater cases; Albus and Scorpius had been avoiding the beady eye of Professor Winters all lesson whilst trying to keep up a whispered conversation.

They were sitting in their usual seats, as far away from Winters as possible so that she wouldn't be tempted to bully Scorpius about his family. She had already made a few well-chosen comments and given pointed looks when she introduced the subject of the lesson, which Scorpius had difficulty ignoring despite Rose's words of comfort.

"Can't you just ask one of the teachers who Ignotus Peverell is? I mean, they're teachers, they're bound to know about him if he's someone important"

"Professor McGonagall might know who he is, Al" Rose suggested suddenly. Rose _never_ talked during a lesson; and so Albus and Scorpius turned to her in shock.

"What?" she asked sharply when she saw they were staring.

"You never have secret conversations during lessons, Rosie" Albus said. "Why the change?"

"I want to know who this Ignotus Peverell is too, you know, because if you're related to him so am I. I've tried looking in the library and he's not in any book I've found yet" she explained under her breath. "But Scorpius is right; you should ask a teacher, they're bound to know aren't they?"

"As long as it's not Winters I have to ask" Albus murmured grumpily, quickly pretending to read as Professor Winters' eyes came to rest on him. "She teaches History of Magic after all".

"No, no, I was thinking about Dumbledore, actually. Or, well, his painting" Scorpius said.

"Why Dumbledore?" Albus asked in confusion.

"It's Dumbledore, isn't it? He knows everything. I bet you anything he'll know who Ignotus Peverell is" Molly piped up from Albus' left.

"Exactly" agreed Scorpius.

It made sense, thought Albus; Dumbledore probably _would_ know who Peverell was. The only issue was getting into McGonagall's office to talk to him again. He doubted McGonagall would just let him walk in and ask to speak to Dumbledore's painting, it would look too suspicious. He'd have to think of some kind of cover...wouldn't he?

"But how would I get into McGonagall's office again? Last time I managed to sneak in because she was in a meeting. But what if she isn't this time? How am I supposed to explain to her I want to speak to Dumbledore without making her suspicious?" Albus asked.

"She might not mind" Scorpius said. "Just say it's for homework or something."

Rose raised one eyebrow at him.

Scorpius said quickly, "Or you could think of some other way".

Albus resisted the urge to laugh. It was so like Rose to disapprove of anything that misused homework, or any kind of work really, in any way.

But he had to admit, Scorpius' idea wasn't half bad; he could say it was research for a History of Magic essay (they _were_ doing the Wars after all and Dumbledore had had a big part in both, despite dying halfway through the second one).

He just didn't think he'd be comfortable lying to Professor McGonagall, of all people. He often got the feeling she could read minds and that she would be able to tell he was lying in some way. Professor McGonagall wasn't the kind of teacher he wanted to cross.

Towards the end of the lesson, Professor Winters suddenly cleared her throat loudly.

Rose, Albus and Scorpius all looked up from their whispered conversation immediately; it didn't bode well to get caught out when Winters was teaching, as you were more than likely to end up ten points short for your House.

All eyes swivelled towards Professor Winters, who had moved to stand in front of her desk. Her beady black eyes sought out each student individually, something she did to make the rest of them feel ill at ease. Scorpius visibly shrank back from her gaze – if she said anything about him now...

"When I see you next – that is to say, in tomorrow's lesson – we shall be looking more closely at some of the most infamous cases of Death Eater crime. I do not wish that lesson to be upsetting for anyone. In that sense, I do warn you that the subjects we will be looking at are quite...sensitive"

She paused here, and looked pointedly at Scorpius, before carrying on, "and therefore I recommend that if you do feel that the lesson will be particularly...personal..." She paused again with a nasty smirk in Scorpius' direction that made Albus' blood boil, "feel free to not attend the lesson and we can go over the material covered in private at a later date. That will be all. You may go. Oh, not you, Mr Malfoy" she added when she spotted Scorpius putting his books into his bag. "I want to have a word with you".

Albus, Molly and Rose shared glances of anxiety.

She had done this before, and Scorpius had come away from their meeting visibly upset. They had every right to be suspicious, and angry, that Winters would dare do the same thing again, especially after the trial.

"We'll wait for you" Molly said to Scorpius in a low voice. "She won't say anything if we stay here". Scorpius gave a small smile; though his expression was of nervousness and alarm. Professor Winters beckoned him over to her desk. He reluctantly complied, throwing an anxious glance to the three of them now standing by the door. They were all watching closely.

"Oh, if she says anything horrible..." Rose began under her breath, her jaw clenching.

But Professor Winters did not begin speaking right away. Instead, she just watched Scorpius for a few moments, the way a snake might watch a mouse before it eats it; a smug smile on her withered face. Her black eyes were hard and cold.

"What's she doing?" Molly asked quietly, and in disgust. "She looks like she's going to eat him or something".

"You three!" she barked suddenly, making them all jump. "Did I ask for witnesses? This is a private matter between myself and Mr Malfoy and you will do well not to intervene. I can assure you that your friend is in capable hands."

Albus snorted before he could stop himself; the incredulity of her words was enough to make him laugh out loud. Capable hands!

Professor Winters raised one grey eyebrow threateningly.

"Is something funny, Mr Potter?" she asked, her voice sharp. Her dark, hard eyes shifted from Scorpius to Albus and stayed there. Albus forced himself not to meet her gaze, and instead looked to the floor.

"Well, is there?" she barked, louder this time. He could hear Rose and Molly either side of him, tensing. When he did not reply, she spoke once more.

"Is there something you would like to say, Mr Potter?" Professor Winters pushed, her voice a hard knife edge. Again, Albus was determined not to reply. He fought back the urge to tell her _yes, there are some things I want to say, actually, like why are you targeting my friend when he's done nothing wrong? _He would like to say that she was prejudiced, that she was being unfair, that she was being cruel and spiteful and unprofessional and all the rest of it.

There were a lot of things he would _like_ to say to his History of Magic professor...and he fought them back, biting his tongue until it hurt, as her eyes continued to gaze upon him.

"Very well" Professor Winters said maliciously. "Since you are unwilling to cooperate with me, perhaps you might learn a lesson or two about respecting your elders with Professor Umbridge. Her office is on the fourth floor. I will take you there now. You might want to cooperate with her" she said, and as Albus' eyes widened in disbelief, she said "and you will cooperate and tell her why you think I am so funny, unless you want a detention, Mr Potter."

"WHAT?" Albus yelled, rather unwisely. Detention for not answering a question? The nerve of her!

His blood boiled in his veins; he did not care, he was so angry, angry for himself and for Scorpius.

Professor Winters' nasty smirk widened.

"I see I will not need to see Professor Umbridge, after all. Two weeks' detention for disrespect and twenty points from Gryffindor. I will not tolerate your arrogance".

"But professor-!" Rose cried indignantly.

"No backchat, Miss Weasley, or it shall be detention for you also!" Professor Winters commanded. "I want to have a word with your little friend here" she nodded her head in Scorpius' direction, "and so you will leave, or you shall be losing more than House points. These things do not concern you and you will keep your noses out of it if you do not want any more punishment".

"That's not fair; they're only trying to help!" Molly interjected indignantly, face red with anger.

Albus winced. It was best not to get Molly Finnigan angry; he had learnt that from watching her use the Disarming Charm on a fourth-year in the Common Room for picking on a first year two nights previously. But he didn't like it that she was getting herself into trouble with Winters as well as Albus and Rose. Professor Winters' smirk looked like it might split her whole head in half.

"Very well, very well" she said. "The three of you will spend two weeks' detention for disrespect and thirty points will be taken from Gryffindor. And you will not question it, Miss Weasley, or I will be informing Professor McGonagall and Professor Umbridge of your behaviour" she snapped, as Rose opened her mouth furiously to retaliate.

"C'mon" Rose muttered. "We better go before we lose any more house points"

"What about Scorpius?" Molly asked, giving him a worried glance; but he had his back to her and did not see.

"Let her talk to him" Rose said, dragging Albus and Molly towards the door. "He'll probably tell us what she says anyway".

And because Professor Winters was eyeing them maliciously, they left the room, all three now hating the Wizengamot for allowing her to return, only to pick on Scorpius again and no doubt make him just as miserable as he had been before.

* * *

That evening, Albus, Molly and Rose were sitting at the table in the Gryffindor Common Room. Rose had her nose buried in a thick book and was scribbling frantically on parchment; Molly was doodling on the inside cover of her copy of _A History of Magic_; and Albus was playing with his quill and staring into the fire, thinking. He'd been wondering, for the best part of an hour, how best to let McGonagall give him pe

rmission to talk to Dumbledore and ask him about Ignotus Peverell. He'd tried, with all his might, to think of a good enough excuse that he could use; but to no avail. But his curiosity was killing him.

Albus suddenly had an idea; looking around in case anyone was watching too closely, he pulled out a piece of old and worn parchment from his pocket. It was grubby and faded and looked as though he'd had it for a very long time. As a group of third-years – which, of course, included James – burst into raucous laughter, Albus whipped out his wand, tapped the old piece of parchment and said quietly, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good".

The effect of these few words was instantaneous; and the parchment came alive, ink spreading across it to form words and images, and the now-familiar words written across the top read, "_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present the Marauder's Map_".

Hiding himself with a heavy book which he opened upright in front of him, he unfolded the map carefully and searched eagerly its intricate drawings for what he was looking for. _There!_ He found Professor McGonagall's office, and to his delight, the tiny dot usually labelled "Minerva McGonagall" was not in it. In fact, it was two floors down, next to the dots labelled "Filius Flitwick" and "Horace Slughorn".

_She must be about to hold a staff meeting_, Albus thought with glee. This was perfect! And what a coincidence that this was what happened the previous time he had wished to speak with Dumbledore as well! Clearly, someone was on his side – whoever that may be – and now that he'd discovered this perfect opportunity, he couldn't possibly waste it, could he?

"Er...Rosie?" Albus began carefully, looking over the top of his book at her; she was still scribbling away and seemed not to have heard him at first.

"Rose?" he tried again. She looked up this time with an agitated expression.

"You're going to sneak into McGonagall's office, aren't you?" Rose whispered with a raised eyebrow, putting down her quill and folding her arms on the table. Albus was taken aback; he hadn't expected her to figure it out so quickly.

"How did you know?" he asked sullenly.

"You've got the Marauder's Map behind that book" Rose said matter-of-factly, pointing to the heavy tome behind which Albus had hidden said map. Albus' shoulders fell with annoyance. "So are you going to McGonagall's office or not?" she suddenly probed, sitting up a little straighter with the hint of a smile.

"Well, yeah" he explained. "If I don't go now, I might not get another chance, and I really need to know who this Peverell bloke is so I can know for sure whether I'm Godric Gryffindor's descendant or not. You want to know too, don't you?" he asked, playing to Rose's curiosity; he knew she was just as anxious has he was to know the truth.

"Yes, of course I do" Rose said. "But I'd rather we _ask_ first, Al" She looked around her carefully and lowered her voice. "I'd rather not go into McGonagall's office when she's not there, but..." _Ah, here we go. Well done, Al_ his mind told him. He had her curiosity now.

"Oh, make your mind up already, Rosie" Albus replied. "Because she's in a staff meeting like last time so I want to go now"

"Fine" Rose said. "Let's go. Tonight. We might not get another chance"

"Really?" Albus gasped incredulously. Had he heard correctly? Was she really agreeing to breaking school rules?

"Oh, don't look so surprised!" she laughed quietly, abandoning her homework altogether and pushing aside her essay. "Are you coming with us, Molly?" she called to Molly, who had moved her homework to the squashy armchair by the sofa.

Albus had the funny feeling she wasn't actually doing work and rather, she was watching the corner where Albus' brother James was entertaining his friends with the newest products courtesy of their Uncle George.

"What? Oooh yes, I've had enough of this stupid Charms essay and I've only written a page" Molly sighed; she put down her books and shoved the essay back into her bag, and then jumped up from the armchair. "Where are we going?"

Albus beckoned her over to them; not wanting to say it out loud where people (his cousin Molly, who was a Prefect) might hear and tell on them to Filch or another teacher. Albus was already feeling sore and angry about spending two weeks in detention with Professor Winters for trying to defend Scorpius – and he suddenly remembered that he wanted to ask Scorpius what Winters had said to him in their 'private meeting'.

He hoped she hadn't said anything to upset him, or he would gladly be docked fifty points if it meant he could tell on her to McGonagall.

"McGonagall's office" Albus explained in a low voice. "I want to ask Dumbledore – well, his painting – about Ignotus Peverell. She's in a staff meeting like last time, so hopefully she won't bother us". During Albus' explanation, Molly's eyes widened slightly, but she looked eager all the same. Albus smiled. You could always count on Molly to be in for a bit of an adventure. "And she shouldn't, because we'll get help from my granddad and his friends" he whispered conspiratorially, showing Molly the map. She grinned.

"Come on, then, before Professor McGonagall has a chance to catch us at it" Rose said, getting up from her seat and closing her essay carefully in her book. "I have half a mind to ask Dumbledore what to do about Professor Winters whilst I'm there, as well." And with that, they left through the portrait hole and made their way to McGonagall's office.

The corridors were deserted – everyone was in their respective Common Rooms – and their footsteps resonated off the stone walls much too loudly for Albus' liking. He constantly checked the map, keeping an eye out for Prefects, teachers, Filch and Mrs Norris – and of course Peeves, the wise-cracking and troublesome poltergeist who made it his mission to drive the students and all the teachers round the twist with his antics. Call him a killjoy, but he didn't fancy having the shield from a suit of armour or an old vase dropped on his head. He remembered only too well the fuss his mum kicked up the last time that happened.

At the end of the floor, they almost collided with Nearly Headless Nick, who was passing, but a knowing smile from the friendly Gryffindor ghost told them he wouldn't tell a teacher that they were roaming the corridors, and there was a moment when they had to flatten themselves against an alcove in the wall to deter Mrs Norris, who was sniffing around, no doubt on orders from Filch, for students wandering around suspiciously.

"_Sherbet lemon_" Albus whispered when they finally reached the golden griffin guarding McGonagall's office. They jumped onto the spiralling staircase that emerged from the floor and quickly pushed open the heavy door.

The circular room looked just the same as it always did; curving bookcases full of books, little round tables piled high with strange-looking apparatus and yet more books; piles of papers; and of course the walls covered with paintings of old Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses. All of them appeared to be fast asleep, but Albus was not fooled; he saw Dilys Derwent peep at him out of the corner of her eye and the grey-haired old man he knew to be Armando Dippet stared at him when he thought he wasn't looking.

"Bloody nosy" he grumbled, approaching Professor McGonagall's desk and standing in front of the portrait sat right behind it. Professor Dumbledore, unlike the others, really _was_ fast asleep, the tassels on his silver cap fluttering every time he took a breath; his half-moon glasses were in danger of sliding right off his crooked nose.

"Professor?" Albus asked loudly. "Professor Dumbledore, can I talk to you for a minute?" Silence. Professor Dumbledore slept on.

"We shouldn't disturb him, Al. Maybe we should come back another time" Rose suggested, making for the door.

"Oh, there will be no need for that, Miss Weasley; you needn't feel that you are disturbing me. I merely dozed off for a moment"

Albus jumped. Professor Dumbledore had suddenly awakened and was smiling to himself as he surveyed the three of them through his half-moon glasses.

"I-I'm sorry, professor...I just...well, I wanted to ask you about something" Albus began, and rather nervously; he had forgotten what he'd planned to say.

"And what might that be?" asked Dumbledore kindly, adjusting his cap and folding his hands in his painted lap.

"I wanted to ask you about Ignotus Peverell. I was wondering if you knew who he was" he explained. Dumbledore's blue eyes widened in surprise. "I found Godric Gryffindor's painting" Albus went on. "And he told me that I was related to him through the Peverells, descended from the third brother, Ignotus. I was hoping you could tell me something about them". Professor Dumbledore did not speak immediately; rather, he continued to observe Albus with a kind expression.

"Godric Gryffindor, related to the Peverells...but I never thought...yes, you are descended from the Peverells" said Dumbledore. Albus' mouth dropped open. Was he telling the truth? "I believe, and – forgive me if I am wrong – that your brother has an Invisibility cloak, does he not?"

"Yeah, he does, but I'm supposed to get it next year. How do you know?" Albus replied, finally getting past his shock. So he really was Godric Gryffindor's descendant. He quickly turned around and threw a glance at Rose and Molly, who were both looking equally shocked at the news. Rose, however, looked delighted as well as surprised.

"Oh, your brother has spent many a time in this office. It would be foolish of me not to expect that he had inherited that cloak from your father" Dumbledore explained. "However, the knowledge that the Peverells are related to Godric Gryffindor is new to me...are you sure that it what you were told?" he sounded sceptical, wary.

"Yes. He said that the Peverells were his stepsister's sons" Albus replied. Dumbledore's cap nearly fell off in surprise; Albus resisted the urge to laugh.

"You are quite sure?" the old wizard gasped, leaning forward in the painted chair in which he was sitting.

"Yes, I think so. You didn't know?" Albus asked confusedly. He was puzzled by the Headmaster's shock. Surely Dumbledore would have known something like this?

"No, Mr. Potter" he breathed, his silver eyebrows furrowing over his piercing blue eyes. "This is a rare occurrence, I had never guessed, and so, to use the phrase, the plot thickens..." he chuckled lightly to himself, but appeared to be deep in thought. "Yes, this is...strange, and yet delightful news, and a great shock, I must admit, and yet...ah Mr. Potter, I believe you have helped me greatly, but I must look further – something quite difficult to do when you are a painting, but I will try"

"What do you mean, Professor?" Albus asked, stopping Dumbledore's pensive monologue.

"Mr. Potter, have you heard _The Tale of the Three Brothers_?" Dumbledore suddenly enquired, his voice losing its deep-in-thought quality. The old Professor was now businesslike.

"I don't think so" Albus said. "I might have-"

"The Deathly Hallows!" Molly cried in realisation. "I remember now, Peverell and his brothers are supposed to be the original owners of the Deathly Hallows! I heard the story as a kid! Is that what you're talking about, professor? The Deathly Hallows?"

"Indeed it is, Miss Finnigan, I am thinking of the Deathly Hallows" Dumbledore agreed with a smile. The confusion had gone from his face and his blue eyes were now twinkling in what Albus could only describe as excitement – but why? He couldn't remember hearing anything about _The Tale of the Three Brothers_ when he was younger, let alone any mention of Deathly Hallows. "What I wish to know is, if the Peverells are the sons of Godric Gryffindor's stepsister – Arianrhod, her name was, I believe – then the tale itself is merely that, a tale, and no less rooted in fact than a wonderfully humorous story I heard from Dilys the other day about a patient at St. Mungo's who had transfigured himself into half an elephant, and half a pelican"

There were footsteps outside. The three of them froze, whipping around towards the door. "I think it is time you left" Professor Dumbledore said. "But thank you, Mr. Potter. Ignotus Peverell is one of the brothers believed to be in possession – originally – of one of the Deathly Hallows, and it has become popular myth that if you own all three you will master Death itself. That, of course, is a mere tale, and nothing you should be worrying yourselves about at this young age!"

But the expression of shocked confusion had returned to Dumbledore's face as he spoke. Only Albus noticed.

* * *

**_A/N: Oooh, as Dumbledore says, the plot thickens! What d'you reckon's got Dumbledore all confused all of a sudden? How long do you think Professor Winters will last now that she's clearly ignoring the Wizengamot's wishes? _**

**_These questions and more will be answered in the upcoming chapters, so keep your eyes peeled and your mind alert!_**

**_Love it? Hate it? On the fence about it? Whatever you think, JUST REVIEW IT!_**

**_HPfangirl4life x_**


	18. Liquid Luck

**_A/N: Wow, it's so great to be back after what, a ridiculously long hiatus? I am SO SORRY for updating so freakin' late! *begs for forgiveness*. Stupid writer's block, an imagination crisis, and other things have stopped me from updating for so long. _**

**_Now, to answer a few questions that popped up in your previous reviews. Does Al know all about the 'Boy Who Lived' stuff? Yes, he knows Harry survived the killing curse twice, he found that out in his first year. He knows his Dad defeated Voldemort, but doesn't know how. He doesn't know about the Chamber of Secrets, the Philosopher's Stone, robbing Gringotts etc etc...not for now, anyway!_**

**_Now, I have an extra-long chapter especially for you to devour with your hungry eyes. Enjoy!_**

* * *

_CHAPTER EIGHTEEN_

_Liquid Luck_

Ravenclaw floored Hufflepuff in the Quidditch match the week after Albus, Rose and Molly's meeting with Dumbledore's painting, which put Hufflepuff at the bottom of the rankings for the Quidditch and greatly boosted Gryffindor's chances. Ravenclaw was second in the league and they were more than a match for Albus' Quidditch team, who were the best in school (even if Albus said so himself). This meant that over the next few weeks, Albus was swamped in Quidditch practice on direct orders from both Amanda Braithwaite, the team captain, and Professor McGonagall herself, who was extremely eager to secure another Gryffindor win.

In fact, all that extra practice in preparation for the game – which would take place on the last Saturday of term – had driven all thought of Gloria Winters right out of Albus' mind. Even the knowledge that he had two weeks' worth of detentions with her couldn't find a place in his mind to occupy at the moment.

Until, that was, when he had returned from a late practice one Friday evening to find a very cross Rose waiting for him inside the portrait hole.

"We've got to start our detention tonight" she told him grumpily, following him to the sofa in front of the warm fire, onto which he flopped down and held his numb fingers out to heat them up. It had been freezing outside and flying on a broom at breakneck speeds made wind as cold as ice whip past his hair and clothes.

"When?" he groaned, sitting upright and staring at her, annoyed that she'd deflated his Quidditch-induced happiness. Rose checked her watch.

"About half an hour. I don't know what we'll be doing though" she said.

Albus sighed. He wasn't going to have any time to do his homework tonight – he only hoped Winters didn't keep them long.

"Did you find out what Winters said to Scorpius in their little 'meeting'?" Albus asked suddenly, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice. With such extensive Quidditch practice, he hadn't been able to find any time to ask his friend himself, so he had relied on Rose to pass on the information for him as she was the one spending the most time with him.

"No" Rose replied. "Every time I try to ask him, he clams up"

"That bitch!" Albus hissed loudly, getting to his feet, seething.

"Al!" squealed Rose, looking around nervously to see if anyone heard his outburst.

"Well, it's true!" he exclaimed, folding his arms and sitting back down.

"Yes, but you don't need to go shouting about it!" Rose pleaded. "What if someone hears and tells on you to her? You don't want to get into anymore trouble, or lose anymore points – do you?"

"No" Albus admitted. "Still doesn't change the fact that she's a bitch though".

"I _know_, Al, just doesn't go shouting about it!" his cousin implored. "Where's Molly, anyway? She better not be late for our detention".

"She won't" Albus replied.

Truthfully, he had no idea where Molly was, but he had a rather uncomfortable feeling that she was off with his brother somewhere. He'd noticed that she kept looking over at him in the Great Hall at mealtimes.

"I hope you're right. I'll bet you anything Winters'll be just _waiting_ to take more points off us" Rose huffed. "Why is she still _here_? You'd think she'd be fired for professional misconduct _and_ trying to frame someone for a Muggle hate crime, but _no_, she wasn't was she? Now she's getting even worse and the way she spoke to us..." Rose ranted, her face flaming as red as her hair.

"Now who's getting angry?" he chided, annoyed that she'd told him off for swearing when she was obviously going the same way. She seemed to deflate; her face fell, her expression downcast.

"You're right. I shouldn't nag" she admitted, her shoulders slumping.

This wasn't normal Rose behaviour – she usually wasn't this sensitive, unless it was about library books or homework. Albus couldn't deny that she was right, though – why _wasn't_ Professor Winters sacked? He had a funny feeling Umbridge came into it somewhere, though he had no idea how or why.

Both were quiet for a few moments, staring into the fire that roared happily in the grate in front of them. Albus leaned back against the sofa, letting the heat from the flames warm him gratefully. As much as he loved Quidditch, practising in the middle of winter when it was freezing cold was not his first choice of activity. He hoped it would get warmer sometime soon.

He let his mind wander in the quiet of the absence of Rose's usual jabbering...and he came to think about these mysterious Deathly Hallows, and how they could possibly relate to him. He had a funny feeling he'd heard the name somewhere before, very faintly...but he couldn't for the life of him think where that might be. It was a very vaguely familiar name. Molly obviously knew what they were – maybe he should ask her. He'd thought he didn't know what it was, but thinking about it...he was _sure_ he'd heard it somewhere, maybe when he was younger...

"Hey, Rose, d'you remember anyone saying anything about the Deathly Hallows?" he asked suddenly, breaking out of his reverie.

"How do you mean?" she replied, her expression confused.

"Well, d'you remember anyone in our family mentioning the Deathly Hallows to us when we were little?"

Rose thought for a few moments.

"I don't think so. Why?" she answered eventually.

"I think I've heard it somewhere before, now that I think about it, when I was younger, but I can't remember" he explained.

"Hmmm" Rose murmured. "Deathly Hallows...Deathly Hallows...no, I don't think I've heard of them before, and it's not in any of the books I've read".

"Oh" Albus said, disappointed. He'd hoped that Rose would've remembered something, as she'd always had the best memory for things like this.

How were these Deathly Hallows connected to Ignotus Peverell, his brothers, and subsequently Godric Gryffindor? There had to be connection, or Dumbledore wouldn't have been so surprised when they mentioned it...and, come to think of it, why _had_ he been so surprised? And what was _The Tale of the Three Brothers_? That, he suddenly realised, was the key to finding out the connection...he'd have to find out what _The Tale of the Three Brothers_ was, then he'd know what the Deathly Hallows were.

Molly had said that the Peverell brothers were supposed to be the original owners of the Deathly Hallows, and Dumbledore had said it was only a story...but to find out if the story was in fact true, he'd have to find out what the Hallows were, and since he'd found no reference to them in any book – and neither had Rose – he wasn't sure how to do that. Of course, he could always ask his parents, but he wasn't sure if they would tell him or not.

He sighed loudly, staring into the fire. Why was everything so complicated to figure out? Why did his family have to keep everything from him? He was surprised to find that he was extremely annoyed with that fact. What was it with his family and not wanting to tell the truth about the War and what had happened?

In Scorpius' case, he could understand to some extent why the truth had been kept from him, but Albus' own family were on the Light side - they never did anything bad, did they? And if he was honest, he'd rather find out things from his family than find them out through his own investigations, but as they wouldn't _tell_ him anything, he'd _have_ to find these things out for himself. And he'd need Rose, Molly and Scorpius to help him.

* * *

Detention with Professor Winters was not as bad as Albus had feared. True, they had been made to clear and clean two very dusty, filthy store cupboards in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom for the best part of two and a half hours, but it could have been worse. The cupboards had, at least, been easier to clean than those trophies from last year. They were commanded to go back the next night to dust and polish the entire classroom, and Albus surprised himself by realising that he didn't really mind as much as he thought he would; after all, it would only be like having to help out with the housework at home to earn his pocket money, only it would be for a horrible crone of a woman, and not his mother. Still, it could always be worse.

They had yet to extract any information from Scorpius about what Winters had said to him, however; and he didn't look like he was going to share that information willingly. Albus found himself wondering whether Scorpius didn't trust them, but found that he didn't really blame him if that was the case. After all, family was something personal; he couldn't understand why Scorpius didn't want to say anything, but at the same time he wished he would, so that they could help him sort things out with Winters. She was being completely unfair, and now she was treating Albus, Rose and Molly the same way.

In fact, his mind had been completely emptied of anything to do with the Deathly Hallows or _The Tale of the Three Brothers_ until Charms the following Wednesday, the second week of his detention with Professor Winters. Professor Flitwick was busy helping a dark-haired Hufflepuff girl at the front of the classroom, so Albus was free to talk without being overheard by the tiny wizard. He poked Molly with his quill.

"Mmm?" she looked up from her scribbling and turned to face him.

"You know what the Deathly Hallows are, don't you?" he whispered.

"Not really. I mean, I heard the story when I was younger, but I don't know much more than that" she explained.

"Well, what are they?" he asked eagerly, casting a glance over at Professor Flitwick. He was still engrossed at the front of the classroom.

"The story says that Death himself gave three brothers – the same three brothers you're supposed to be related to, Gryffindor's nephews –each something that would protect them from dying. The eldest got the Elder Wand, which was supposed to be unbeatable and made you invincible. The second brother got the Resurrection Stone, which is supposed to bring people back from the dead. The third brother got the Invisibility Clo-"

Her eyes suddenly widened, and her mouth fell open with some sudden realisation or other. "Albus, the cloak! The Invisibility cloak!" she whispered excitedly, still staring at him as though he had two heads.

"What about it?" he asked, confused, his brow furrowing.

"You said James has got one – said he got it from your Dad" Molly explained, her eyes sparkling. "That cloak is the same cloak from the story! Al, this proves you're related to them! Do you see? You've got the same cloak! Well, your brother has"

Albus felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him. Was this _true_? If Molly was to be believed, then he really was a descendant of Godric Gryffindor, through the Peverell brothers, and his Dad's Invisibility Cloak proved it.

"But it's just story!" replied Albus, shaking his head, unable to believe it.

"All stories have their roots in truth" Molly said wisely, unable to keep the grin off her face. "This is _so cool_! You've got one of the most legendary artefacts in wizard history, this is a big deal!"

"It is?"

"_Yes!_" Molly insisted, perhaps a little too loudly; several people in the vicinity turned to look at them curiously, including Rose, who scowled at them for interrupting her concentration.

"Sssh!" Albus implored. "So I really am related to Godric Gryffindor. I wonder if mum and dad know!"

Molly's excitement at such a revelation was catching, and he found himself grinning manically for the rest of the lesson, which made the students around him give him odd looks, but he didn't really care. He was related to _Godric Gryffindor!_ _Well,_ said little voice in his mind_, this proves that you didn't belong in Slytherin, doesn't it?_ _James was wrong_.

* * *

"I've got a present for you!" called an all-too-familiar voice.

It was James, and he was grinning from ear to ear. He stopped Albus in the middle of the deserted corridor, just staring at him. Albus stared back, his face full of scepticism. James' face fell.

"Aren't you going to ask me what it is?" he asked, slightly disappointed.

"Knowing you, it can't be anything good" Albus retorted, looking at him suspiciously. "What are you hiding behind your back?" He craned his neck, trying to get a look.

James swerved out of the way.

"Your present, if you want it" James said, the grin returning to his face. "C'mon, Al, I think you'll like it"

"I don't believe you" Albus replied.

"What little faith you have in me!" James shook his head dramatically. "Don't you even want to know what it is, first?"

"Fine, what is it?" Albus finally gave in to his curiosity, despite the ever-growing suspicious feeling he was getting.

James removed his hand from behind his back, holding a small corked bottle full of what looked like gold liquid. It looked familiar, but Albus couldn't place where he'd seen it before.

"This" James announced, "is Felix Felicis, Al. Know what it is?"

Albus' mouth dropped open.

"Where did you _get_ that?" he gasped, staring at the small bottle in James' hand. "That's-that's liquid luck, that is, and it's really valuable! Where did you get it?"

"Where do you think? I got it from the Potions classroom, dolt. Knicked it, as a matter of fact, when Slughorn wasn't looking. He won't notice it's gone, don't worry about that. Anyway, this here will help you with your Professor Winters problem" James explained.

"You _stole_ it?" said Albus, disbelieving.

Thieving from teachers? Not to mention stealing something extremely valuable, too. There was a pause for a few moments.

"How will it help me with Winters?" Albus asked, before he could stop himself.

Felix Felicis was very useful, if used properly; he knew that much. It technically wasn't a Potion he would study until NEWT level, but he knew a little about it because Rose had read up on it.

"_One spoonful makes all your endeavours succeed_" James quoted covetously. "That's what Slughorn said. Want to get out of detention? Take a sip of this, and it'll sort that right out for you. I was going to use it for myself, but since Winters is giving you, Rose and Molly a hard time, you'd better have it. I can always knick some more later, anyway. Slughorn's private stores are a lot easier to break into then you'd think – especially if you've got a certain Invisibility Cloak" James added on with a wink. _The Cloak!_

"James, listen, wait till you hear what I've found-" Albus was cut off roughly by James shoving the bottle of Felix Felicis into his hand.

"I'm sure it's something great, but I can't hang around" James said quickly. "I have to meet Fred in the Charms corridor. And you can thank me later for that" he said, tipping a glance towards the Felix Felicis in Albus' hand, then turning and walking off up the corridor with a jaunty wave.

"If anyone finds out, I'm telling them you did it!" he called after him.

Secretly, Albus was thrilled to get his hands on something like Felix Felicis. It was rare, it was valuable, and it was extremely handy to have around. He was lucky to have it.

He stuffed it in his pocket and tried not to look too guilty as he made his way back to the Gryffindor common room.

It was no use. Albus' thoughts kept straying to where he'd kept the bottle of Felix Felicis James had given him in his trunk upstairs, hidden amongst some spare robes along with the Marauder's Map. In fact, he was so consciously aware that it was there that he could barely concentrate on his Transfiguration essay.

He was itching to try it out, and see if James was right; but another, Rose-like part of him knew it was wrong. It had been stolen, for one thing. For another, he was sure it was against school rules to use it, and he wasn't about to ask Rose to confirm his suspicions as she'd only threaten to tell Professor McGonagall he'd been stealing. He put down his quill and set his essay aside. Rose looked up at the sound of shuffling papers.

"What's wrong, Al? You look worried about something" she said, peering at him concernedly. He wished she wouldn't.

"Nothing" he muttered, stretching his arms above his head. Rose wasn't fooled, and she kept looking at him for a few moments, if expecting him to suddenly confess what was on his mind. He tried to carry on with his essay, but found his concentration waning and his thoughts constantly upstairs in his dormitory, where the Felix Felicis was being kept out of sight.

It was no use. He was too curious.

"I need to get something from my trunk, I'll be back in a minute" Albus said, pushing his chair aside and getting up from the table.

He quickly climbed the steps to his dormitory, throwing himself on the floor next to trunk and pulling it open. He rummaged through the spare robes, parchment, empty sweets packets, until he found what he was looking for. Well, he had it now. He might as well try it out! He pulled the cork from the top of the bottle and put it on the floor, raising the bottle to his lips. _Here goes nothing_, Albus thought. _If James is right, and this Felix stuff actually will get me a good day, I'll be nicer to him from now on_. Feeling a reckless daring grasp him, he swallowed a mouthful of the golden liquid.

The effects were instantaneous; he felt a pleasant warmth spreading through his body, to the tips of his fingers and toes, and he suddenly felt more confident, somewhat boosted by what he'd just drank.

Putting the cork back on the bottle, he shoved it into his pocket for safekeeping, shut the lid on his trunk, and bounded back down the steps to the common room, feeling oddly buoyant.

"I'm going to find Scorpius" he told Rose on returning to her, without really thinking about it. He had a good feeling about talking to him, he thought that he might be able to extract something from him about Professor Winters had said to him. "D'you know where he is?"

"Al, we've got detention with Professor Winters in quarter of an hour" Rose said. "Can't you talk to him some other time? If you're late, you'll be in so much trouble-"

"Oh, I won't be late! I won't be long. D'you know if he'll be in the library? He normally is, he doesn't like staying in the Slytherin common room with Esmeralda there" Albus pressed, unable to be dissuaded.

"If you're sure" Rose shrugged, going back to her book.

Leaving his books and half-written essay on the table, he climbed out of the portrait hole with a spring in his step that wasn't there before, and made his way to the library. He definitely had a good feeling about talking to Scorpius. He realised it must be the Felix Felicis giving him this strange new confidence, and was surprised at the strong effect it produced, even with such a small amount. To be honest, he hadn't thought it would be all that great; the way Professor Slughorn spoke about it in their very first Potions lesson, it was as if it was actually pure gold, and not just golden in colour.

On reaching the library, Albus quickly found his friend half-hidden behind a tall pile of books that Rose would be proud of, with at least two feet of parchment trailing off the table and onto the floor in front of him.

"Transfiguration, is it?" he asked cheerfully, pulling out the chair next to him and dropping into it with a thud.

"Yeah...it's taking so long, though!" Scorpius replied with an exasperated groan, throwing down his quill. Albus peered at Scorpius' essay.

"But you've written loads!" he protested.

"Most of it's just a load of rambling, to be honest" Scorpius answered in a miserable tone of voice. "I can't concentrate, not with all this stuff with Professor Winters going round and round in my head all the time."

"Look, I've been meaning to ask you about that" Albus began in what he hoped was an open, friendly tone. Scorpius sighed.

"I told you, Al, it's nothing to worry about, honestly" he said. "I can handle Winters"

"Really? Because you've been carving _die, Winters, die_ into the table for the past five minutes without even noticing" Albus pointed out, pointing to the vicious carving in the edge of the desk.

"Oh" Scorpius said, with no real surprise. "Right"

He took out his wand and tapped the edge of the table; the carved phrase disappeared, and the wood was good as new. Albus could tell he was avoiding his gaze; he'd picked up his quill and resumed writing, scribbling away quickly, as though he was distracting himself. He'd have to try a different approach.

"Look, if you won't tell your parents what's going on, I will" he threatened, turning to face Scorpius full-on. Still, he didn't look up. "I'm serious, Scorpius. _This_ is serious"

"I'm fine" was the insistent reply.

_This isn't how it's supposed to work_, thought Albus disappointedly. _Drinking the Felix Felicis was supposed to give me good luck, but so far I haven't had any_.

"And anyway, I don't want my parents to worry about me. They do enough of that already" Scorpius added, looking up from his essay for a moment. "I wish they didn't have to, it just gets them all stressed out".

"But if we sort out Winters, they _won't_ have to" Albus pressed further. "There'll be nothing for them to worry about, will there?"

"Well, I suppose" agreed Scorpius, but he still looked uncomfortable and reluctant. Albus had to admire the way he was worried about his parents though. He realised that they must be a very close family. "But the only way to get her off my case is to find out _why_ she hates me so much, and she's not about to tell me that, is she?" He tapped his quill to his chin, apparently deep in thought.

"We won't be able to get her to tell. But we _can_ get her to back off" Albus said.

"How?" Scorpius was fully listening now; he turned from his work to face Albus, his face anxious. And then a brilliant idea came to him.

"Blackmail!" Albus cried triumphantly.

"Ssh!" Scorpius implored, nodding his head towards Madam Pince, the librarian, who had stopped halfway down an aisle of shelves a few rows ahead of them. "What do you mean, _blackmail_?" he continued in a whisper.

"I've got a few ideas" he replied mysteriously. "Winters is supposed to be under supervision, right, to make sure she doesn't do anything she isn't supposed to do to your family. If the Wizengamot find out she's violated their orders – which she _has_, because she said all that stuff to you when we were there, and afterwards too - she'll be fired and she won't be able to bother you anymore" Albus explained.

"And the blackmail?" Scorpius asked sceptically.

"We tell her to back off, or we'll go to the Wizengamot and sell her out. She'll get fired from the school, _and_ she'll lose her job at the Ministry. She'll have no power over your family then"

The words were coming out of Albus' mouth without him really thinking about what he was saying; it was as if someone else was speaking for him, but it was still _him_ talking; it felt bizarre, but he felt as if he knew was he was talking about. As he spoke, a plan began to formulate in his head, and was relieved and excited when Scorpius' expression perked up, and he smiled.

"D'you think it'll work?" he asked.

"It should" Albus replied with a grin. "You know what? Come on, we'll go and see her now. I've got detention with her tonight, it's the perfect opportunity" He started to get up from the table, but Scorpius stopped him.

"_Now?_" he asked nervously, almost reluctantly. Albus sighed.

"Yes, now. C'mon, Scorpius, this is the perfect opportunity!" Albus cried.

"I don't know, Al..." Scorpius began, but Albus shushed him impatiently.

"You never know until you try" he said, dismissing Scorpius' hesitance. "You want to stop Winters, right?"

"Yes"

"And you want her to stop harassing you and your parents, right?"

"_Yes_" Scorpius repeated.

"So _come on then_!" Albus exclaimed, ignoring the beady eye of Madam Pince that was trained on him suspiciously.

"I don't know, Al" he repeated. Albus rolled his eyes. Suddenly, a brilliant idea came to him.

"If you're nervous, I've got something that'll make you feel better" Albus suggested. "Here" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the bottle of Felix Felicis.

"Liquid luck!" Scorpius gasped. "But-where'd you get it?"

"James got it for me, he got it off a friend of his in fifth year" Albus lied smoothly, handing him the bottle. "Take a sip. It'll give you a boost, trust me"

Scorpius uncorked the bottle and took a mouthful. Immediately, his face lit up with confidence. Albus took the bottle back and put it in his pocket again.

"Alright, we'll do it now" Scorpius said. "If this works, I owe you one" He smiled, the excitement of the plan finally rousing him.

"Excellent" Albus replied.

It didn't take them long to find Professor Winters. She was on her way back to her office from a staff meeting, a pile of books in her arms and her usual disapproving, superior scowl on her face. The black beady eyes narrowed suspiciously when she saw Albus and Scorpius approaching her.

"Your detention does not start for another fifteen minutes, Mr. Potter. What are you doing here, and why is Mr. Malfoy with you? _He_ is not in detention with me" she said condescendingly, with a rather pointed look in Scorpius' direction, who went pink and looked at the floor.

Anger surged through Albus at her tone of voice. _Who does she think she is?_ He thought with bitterness.

"We'd like to talk to you" Albus began as calmly as he possibly could; arranging his face into what he hoped was an innocent, respectful expression. "Just for a few minutes. It's about our homework for this week. We're not really sure how to do it and we'd like some more help. Wouldn't we, Scorpius?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind" Scorpius added. "Please". Professor Winters looked at them for a moment, as if deliberating whether or not she should bother with them.

"Fine" she said roughly, her nostrils flaring. "Come on in"

Hardly believing his success, Albus grinned widely at Scorpius as Professor Winters turned to face the door in front of them.

"I think we've got her" he whispered to Scorpius, almost inaudibly, so that he had to read his lips to understand what Albus was saying.

She pushed open the door of the classroom and strode across it purposefully, putting the books on the desk at the front of the room with a muted _thud_. She whirled around to face them, a smug smile twisting her face.

"What on earth do you think you can get from trying to trick me?" she asked matter-of-factly, folding her arms in front of her chest, her dark eyes hard and fierce.

"What?" Scorpius spluttered, going red. Albus froze. How did she know what they were doing? Was she psychic as well as irrationally prejudiced?

"You are two twelve year old children who know nothing" Professor Winters continued. "And I am repeating myself when I warn you that you shouldn't be involving yourselves with things you plainly don't understand".

"Why do you hate me and my family?" Scorpius half-shouted over her ranting. Professor Winters gave a cold, cruel laugh, as humourless as it was condescending.

"You wouldn't understand" she replied sharply. "Some things aren't meant for children to hear".

"I know my Dad was a Death Eater, but that's no excuse to try to ruin his life" Scorpius retorted, his face flushing with anger that Albus had never seen in him before.

"_Blackmail her_" Albus mouthed to him. Scorpius nodded.

"If you want to keep your job here, just leave me alone!" he demanded, drawing himself up to his full height – which wasn't very tall, actually, but it seemed to have the desired effect. "You can't keep harassing me! The Wizengamot won't let you. If I tell them you violated the terms of your bail, they'll make sure you're fired from Hogwarts and the Ministry".

He paused, staring her out in a way that Albus could only admire. Professor Winters said nothing in the silence.

"You can't blame me for what my family did or didn't do" Scorpius carried on.

"Yes, I can" Professor Winters said. "Very easily. Don't think I don't know what kind of person you are, Mr. Malfoy. You're just the same as your father and your grandfather before you. The apple never falls far from the tree" Her voice was bitter, hard, but her face remained stony.

"Leave me and my Dad alone" he demanded. "Or you'll get fired, I'll make sure you do".

"Mr. Malfoy, if there is one thing I do not tolerate more than injustice, it is rudeness and complete disrespect for order and authority. I don't think you really understand what you're getting yourself into. I am your teacher, and you must do as I tell you to and you will respect me" she commanded, taking a step towards him.

"You've got to give it to get it, Professor" Scorpius retorted bitterly.

Albus' mouth dropped open. Both Professor Winters and Scorpius seemed to have forgotten he was even there, so involved they were in their confrontation. He only hoped that Scorpius' new-found attitude would convince her to back off. He couldn't remember for how long Felix Felicis lasted, but he no longer felt as buoyant as he had done at the beginning, though it had only been around quarter of an hour.

"Do you want to lose your job, Professor?" Scorpius asked sweetly, suddenly all-innocence; the perfect trick for deception. "My family don't deserve to be treated the way you've treated them, and if they find out you've been harassing me at school, they'll be furious and I expect they'll either force you to resign or find a way to get you fired – if I don't do that first. I'll tell them what you've been saying about me, and about them. They'll tell the Wizengamot – and they'll believe them, because my Dad's _on_ the Wizengamot and knows the others really well. If you really want to keep your job, you'll leave me alone and stop bullying me for things I'm not responsible for – and my Dad, for that matter".

There was silence for a few moments, when only Scorpius' heavy breathing could be heard. Professor Winters – stubborn and angry just moments before – now so suddenly looked dumbstruck at Scorpius' determination and courage.

Albus smirked slightly to himself. This was going to work.

"Very well, Mr. Malfoy, you may go" she said, flustered, raking back her grey hair with a gobsmacked expression on her old, withered face. "I allowed my personal feelings to interfere professionally and I was wrong to underestimate you".

Scorpius' mouth dropped open. They'd done it.

* * *

**_A/N: Holy hippogriffs, it seems the Potters really are related to Godric Gryffindor, and Al knows the Cloak is a Hallow. Will he find out about the Elder Wand or the Ressurection Stone? Only time will tell. It looks like Scorpius' finally showed Winters who's boss, right? Right. Or has he? *ominous voice* Stay tuned to find out all this and more. What did you think of the chapter? Long? Boring? Stupid? Good? Bad? Ugly? REVIEW and tell me what you think!_**

**_COMING UP: More shenanigans at the hands of James Potter, the Invisibility Cloak, and the mysterious pact that Harry has with Draco will suddenly make a whole lot more sense to Al and Scorpius..._**

**_HPfangirl4life x_**


	19. Author's Note

_**To all my lovely, faithful reviewers,**_

_**Erm...hi. This is just a quick note to say that I HAVEN'T forgot about this story and I HAVEN'T abandoned it. The reason I haven't written in so long is because I've been on a six-month exchange program to Pigfarts, and since it's in space they don't have wireless Internet. Or electricity. **_

_**Actually, the real reason is because I've been so overwhelmed with the demands of school and A-Levels and exams and all of that, I completely lost track of my writing and this story, and for that I am SO SO SORRY. **_

_**Will RedVines make it better?**_

_**Anyway, as I said I haven't forgotten about Albus & co and their adventures, and I promise you that I WILL have uploaded chapters 19 and 20 in the next 3 weeks. You can hold me to that. Just be patient for me whilst I regroup and get back to the story, and you will not be disappointed.**_

_**HPfangirl4life**_


End file.
